Life's Too Short
by CuteMochi
Summary: Petra miraculously survives the mission to protect Eren from the Female Titan, but at the cost of her mental stability. To her horror, she discovers firsthand that the titans are not her true enemy. (Inspired by Finnick X Annie) Levi X Petra/Rivetra. Cover image is not mine. Now also on Wattpad; Sequel in the works!
1. Chapter 1

"Petra."

"H-Hei...Chou..." she mumbled softly, in a dreamy whisper.

He waited, but when she said no more, he sighed.

"Levi," the corporal felt a hand on his shoulder. He was surprised, he had been wrapped up in his own little world.

"You should leave her alone for now. She's still... Recovering."

Levi shot a death glare at her, and jerked her hand off his shoulder. "I don't need your help, Hanji."

She examined him through her glasses, her lips tightening as if to restrain her next words. "If you want what's best for her, you'll leave her be for now. Your presence will only make it worse."

He internally winced at that last sentence, but reluctantly placed Petra's hand down and stood up to leave the room, silently walking a few paces behind Hanji. Her words echoed through his head. _Your presence will only make it worse._

The next few days the captain sat by her bed, propping her upright to literally spoon-feed her, watching her while reading some books. Every now and then she'd let out a weak moan, which Levi took as a somewhat good sign that she could tell he was there. At night he simply fell asleep on the chair, not wanting to leave the room.

One morning though, Levi was surprised to wake up in Petra's room to find her gone, the sheets crumpled under him. In horror, he spun around the room, seeing no sign of her. He nearly busted down the door of every room to find her, but to no success. At last, he made his way down to the kitchen when he smelled the scent of black coffee, his favorite, drifting through the air. He bustled downstairs as quickly as his damn ankle would allow him. When he entered the kitchen he saw Petra stirring cream and sugar into a mug of coffee, her apron tied around her waist neatly. She turned around and smiled at him. "Good morning, Heichou," she said happily.

"Petra," he said, locking eyes with her intensely. "What happened?"

She looked confused, even flustered by his sudden concern. "What do you mean? And where's everyone else? They should be awake by now," she asked. For a moment her eyes widened, as if remembering something horrible, but then shook her head and beamed.

"Sit down please, I'll bring the coffee to you," she chirped. He did as she said, and she began to walk over. Many thoughts raced through Levi's head, replaying the deaths of Eld, Oluo, and Gunther in his head repeatedly. What happened to her? How was he going to tell her?

These thoughts were interrupted by the shattering sound of the mug and Petra's scream.


	2. Chapter 2

Levi turned around to see Petra breaking down, covering her ears tightly and screaming hysterically.

He did his best to get out of his seat, but with his injured ankle it was no easy task.

"They're dead!" she wailed, sobbing uncontrollably. "They're all dead because of me! It's all my fault!"

"Petra!" he exclaimed. "Listen to me!"

She looked up at him, a bewildered look in her eyes. "Y-You.. You left us... And then-"

Petra then began to scream again, as if she was being attacked.

Hanji suddenly bustled into the room, yelling, "What's with all the noise?"

Her gaze focused onto Petra, her eyes widening.

"What's wrong?" she addressed Levi.

"How the hell am I supposed to know?"

"You were supposed to be taking care of the poor girl!"

Petra then eyed the shards of ceramic, and began to grasp for them.

"Th-They're dead!" tears flowed from her eyes. "So I should be, too!"

Her finger barely grazed one of the sharp edges when Levi quickly kicked the remnants of the mug away towards the wall with his good foot and assisted Hanji in restraining Petra as she squirmed against her grip.

"Petra, calm down!" Hanji said, trying to keep her arms in check.

"No!" Petra screamed, further resisting. "No!"

Finally Levi was forced to ask Hanji to pacify her with an injection, and she fell unconscious on Levi's lap.

"That'll keep her down for at least a few hours," Hanji panted. She turned to face Levi. "What on Earth happened to her?"

"I don't know," he said, looking down at Petra. "She woke up, and apparently forgot what happened with the Female Titan. She acted like it was a normal day. And then, she suddenly remembered everything that happened and started going crazy."

Hanji pondered over this. "Seems like she had amnesia of some sort. As for her going crazy," she shifted uncomfortably.

"Go on," he said impatiently. He eyed the mess on the floor. Disgusting. It was killing him to be left uncleaned.

"She's probably suffering from post traumatic stress disorder."

"Post traumatic stress disorder?"

"Yes. "

The corporal looked down at the girl resting on his lap. _I should've been there. Maybe I could've saved them. Then none of this would've happened._

He shook his head. No, he couldn't let the survivor's guilt get to him. He'd seen plenty of soldiers die in the past. What makes this any different? _Because they were_ your _squad._

Levi pounded his fist on the floor angrily, then remembered that Hanji was watching him, estranged.

"I'm gonna bring Petra to her room," he said, but then remembered his ankle. He could manage fine on his own, but with another person's weight it was too much for even him to handle.

"Good luck with that," Hanji said, mopping up the coffee with a rag.

He gritted his teeth. She was so annoying.

"Help me carry her upstairs."

"What's the magic word?"

"Help me carry her up the damn stairs now."

"That's not quite right," she said, sweeping up the pieces of the mug into a dustpan.

He sighed. "Please."

"Please what?"

"Dammit, woman! Just help me carry her up the stairs so that we can move on with our shitty lives!"

"Okay, fine, Mr. Grumpy!"

She put away the broom and took one of Petra's arms, then helped Levi carry her up the stairs and into bed.

Before stepping out of the room, Hanji said, "She needs to see a therapist. Help her get better."

Levi looked back at her. "Get back to normal?"

"... Normal meaning what?"

"The way she was before, idiot."

Her face tensed. "Levi, she'll never be the same again. Let alone serve in the Survey Corps. You do know that, right?"

The corporal sat there, paralyzed. How had it not occurred to him? He was so concerned for Petra's well being that he didn't realize that she'd have to be discharged from the Survey Corps if she didn't have the capacity to go on another expedition.

"...Yeah."

"Good. Now, I have to head back for some research. I'll be back in a few days. Try to get a therapist while I'm at it... Just don't do anything that'll make her feel more stressed or scared than she already is."

She walked off before he had the thought of thanking her, which of course, was a ridiculous one. Why was she doing this? Was it because she felt... Sorry for him? Or was it that she was just trying to help him out so he'd owe her? He could never tell with Hanji.

He looked down at Petra's face, which was ghostly pale. The image of her grabbing for the shards of the mug haunted him. The Petra he knew and secretly admired and loved was strong and brave, yet gentle and calm. But this was like a whole new person. Suicidal and scared. He'd seen soldiers like that after their comrades had been eaten. But Petra? Levi had never imagined that she would ever be reduced to something like that.

Standing up, he went downstairs to find a report from Commander Erwin addressed to him on the table. Hanji probably brought it over. After making himself a bit of dinner, he brought it upstairs and ate in Petra's room on her table while reading the reports. Casualties, weapon loss, things like that. He felt a prick of guilt in him when he read the names of Oluo, Eld, and Gunther, so he quickly skimmed the casualties.

Levi had just finished the last of his roll when Petra began stirring. She shivered and trembled in her sleep, prompting the captain to bring up another blanket to cover her. After finishing the last of the reports, he fell asleep next to Petra's bed, her hand in his.

The next day

"Heichou?" Levi was awakened by her voice ringing in his head. He looked up to see Petra sitting upright in the bed, her golden eyes tired but bright as ever.

"Petra," he said, straightening. "Do you remember yesterday?"

She looked down at her covers shamefully and nodded.

"I-I'm sorry. I wasn't myself. I-"

"It's fine," he said, eyeing her hand. He could see the scar from the cut on her finger. "You're going to be alright. Hanji's finding a therapist for you."

"Thank you," she smiled slightly. "I probably need it."

She suddenly had an alarmed look on her face which then softened to appear more grieved. "The others are... g-gone? I wasn't just dreaming?"

Levi silently nodded.

Seeing her break into quiet tears killed him inside.

"I can't tell what's real or fake anymore," she sobbed.

He wanted to tell her how much he cared about her, but the words stuck in his throat when he remembered what Hanji told him about not saying anything that stressed her.

Finally, she wiped her eyes completely and said, "Let's go eat breakfast!"

* * *

><p>Petra poured the coffee from the coffee pitcher with shaky hands.<p>

Levi eyed it carefully. "Do you need help?"

"No, I-I'm fine."

She sat down at the table, taking small sips of coffee while looking down at her lap, not making eye contact with the captain.

After they were finished eating, Levi was washing the dishes when Petra said, "Heichou?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think I'll be able to go on any more missions?"

He stiffened. "I don't know yet, Petra. We'll have to see."

She paused, pondering this. "I want to stay and serve in the Survey Corps. I really do. I just don't know how."

The corporal wiped his hands on a towel and sat across from Petra.

"I'll do everything I can to make you better. But," he said, tightening his hand. "I can only keep you here for another month, at best, until you have to either be discharged or sent back to the Survey Corps headquarters."

Petra's eyes widened. "No! Please! Don't send me back home!"

She calmed herself and fidgeted with her hands, something she never did before, and said, "Please don't send me back home. M-My father-"

Someone knocked on the door. Petra ran to open it as usual, to see Hanji and another lady with a kind smile next to her.

"Petra-chan! You're therapist's here!" Hanji said happily.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Sorry I made Levi a bit OOC in this chapter, you'll see that a bit but I'll try and fix it. I'm really looking forward to writing future chapters. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and follow, favorite, and review if you did! Thanks!<p>

Update: I removed some fluffy Levi OOC-ness from this chapter, lol.


	3. Chapter 3

_Darkness._

Petra Ral could see nothing but darkness. She tried taking a step forward but she couldn't feel her feet or body.

-But she could hear. She could hear the screams of her teammates.

_Petra, help us!_

_Save us, Petra!_

_Please!_

She wanted to curl up into a ball and cover her ears as tight as she could. She wanted to scream as loud as she could. She wanted to cry and let the tears out. But she could do nothing but listen to the pleas of her fallen comrades. Suddenly, the darkness shifted into an image of the forest, where she found Gunther hanging from a tree like a loose puppet, his face stained with crimson. Eld and Oluo were both on the ground, their blood streaking the grass and pooling up at the tips, forming droplets. Petra wanted to run as far away as she could, to run away as fast as her legs could carry her. But her body remained a stationary pillar, unable to move. Suddenly, she heard the large footstep of a titan thudding her way, and could only watch in utter horror as the Female Titan ran towards her, preparing to kick, and Petra's mouth finally opened as she let out a scream.

* * *

><p>She woke up with Levi's arms around her, pleading with her to calm down. Her face was wet with tears. He shushed her until she stopped screaming.<p>

"Petra, what happened?" he asked.

The girl opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She then swallowed and began to talk. "I-I had another nightmare," she sobbed between sniffles. She wrapped her hands around her elbows. "It's cold."

Levi arranged the covers for her before crawling under himself. Petra didn't protest.

"Thank you, Heichou."

"You needn't address me so formally when it's just the two of us. Levi is fine."

Petra managed to form a weak smile, but it soon slipped away.

"What is it?"

The caramel-haired girl drifted closer to her captain.

"I'm afraid to fall asleep. The nightmares will just come back."

Levi wrapped an arm around her. "I'll be right here."

"Good night, then," Petra yawned quietly. "Levi.."

* * *

><p>The next morning Levi woke up with Petra snuggled up against him, his arm still around her. Her face looked peaceful and even happy. He was careful not to wake her up, but at least she looked comfy in the bed. The minute he got up, though, Petra began muttering again and squirming. Levi sighed and tucked the covers back over both of them after getting back in. It was rare that Levi slept in, for he felt that sleep was simply a waste of time, but you had to do it for your body to replenish itself. Besides, the sheets looked particularly welcoming today...<p>

He laid down on his back and stared up at the ceiling and then closed his eyes, recalling the events of yesterday...

* * *

><p>"Petra," the therapist said, her red lips stretching, making her white teeth appear even pearlier. "Can you tell me what's been on your mind recently?"<p>

Her voice sounded casual, like a teacher talking to a student.

Petra sat in a chair in front of her, Levi and Hanji leaning against the wall. Her hands were clasped together tightly, her knuckles pale.

"I can't think s-straight," Petra said. "Whenever I try to focus, I-"

Her fingers flew to her temples, and her palms pressed over her ears.

Suddenly, her hands fell to chest level, her hands loose and facing up, her eyes widened. She covered her ears again, and began to cry.

"No! Stop it!" she said angrily to no one in particular. "Leave them alone!"

"Petra," the therapist said. "Listen to me."

The girl let out a scream. "Heichou!"

Levi's expression was in between surprised and alarmed. Hanji watched on in concern.

"Petra, it's just a trance. It's not really happening," the therapist insisted firmly.

Petra gave no sign that she heard her. She continued to scream and cry horribly, and nothing the therapist said could ease her.

The corporal suddenly walked over, and simply removed her hands from her ears and held them in between his.

The therapist stood up. "Corporal, you'll only further agitate her condition! She-"

She was cut off by the reaction of Petra.

Her screams died down, though her eyes were still wide as saucers. They stared into Levi's.

Levi then embraced her in his arms, calming her. Her eyes drifted shut as she felt a warm sensation filling her up inside.

_It's safe here, _was what she thought at that moment.

The doctor's eyes softened at the sight of the two of them. She picked up her clipboard and fastened her coat on.

"The whole point of this," she said, buttoning up her coat, "is to make sure that Petra can control her visions."

She looked up. "But, it seems that although she _herself _can't do it, someone _else_ can. I'll be back tomorrow by noon."

The therapist smiled and walked out of the room, Hanji tailing behind her.

Before leaving, Hanji grinned and said, "I'll keep this a little secret between the five of us."

"It better," was all he said.

* * *

><p>After Petra woke up, they had breakfast the same as always. They didn't talk much, silently eating across from each other. Since they woke up late, it was about 11 and they only had an hour or two before the therapist came.<p>

"Heichou," Petra said.

"Levi, I mean," she corrected herself.

"Yes?"

"The nightmares went away. I actually had a good dream for once."

"What was it about?"

Petra smiled. "We were all here. Eating and talking like normal. The five of us."

Levi's heart felt like a needle had been stabbed into it.

_The five of us._

"Even if it was just for a moment," she said dreamily. "I was happy."

Wasn't that what he wanted? For her to be happy? To see her glowing, smiling face again?

He was about to respond when he heard knocking at the door. Petra ran over to get it.

Levi was sipping his coffee, his back to the door. He expected to hear Hanji's voice saying a good morning to Petra, but instead he heard Petra screaming.

He spun around in time to see two large men grabbing Petra's arms, shackling her wrists.

"Hey," he called out, rushing over to the door. "I wasn't informed of this _visit._"

Petra screamed and struggled against their grip, her wrists trying to free themselves.

"Levi-Heichou," one of the men said in a deep voice. "Petra Ral is to be brought back to the Survey Corps HQ for mental assessment."

Levi gritted his teeth. "Who issued that order?"

"She is to be determined of her mental stability," the other man said, dodging his question.

"Who issued that order," he repeated, his voice harsh and firm.

"The head of the mental therapedic team," the other one answered. "Now, we best be on our way"

They began to literally drag Petra out of the room, but she did everything in her power to keep herself rooted to the ground.

Petra turned back to Levi pleadingly. "Heichou! Don't let them take me away!"

Levi's body froze. What was he going to do?

Petra's wrists were blistered and bloody. She continued to struggle and fight against their iron grips. For her size and appearance Petra might not seem very strong, but she could take down men twice as large as her with no problem, let alone titans.

"As her captain, I'd like to oversee her appointment. I'd like to see if she's still fit to serve under me," he said in the most level-headed voice he could pull off.

The two men glanced at each other, then turned to him.

"Very well then, sir."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed and followed this story! It's a bit of a mess right now but I'll sew the gaps up later. Again, I'm having trouble keeping Levi in-character, since in most of the couples I write about, the boy is either overly caring or really energetic and happy. I'm working on it, lol. Well, feel free to leave a review, and followfavorite if you're interested! Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

"Do you have to go?"

Julia grabbed her 10 year old son's shoulders gently and met his eyes. "Have faith, Levi. We'll be back to visit soon."

* * *

><p>At that moment, Levi had believed every word she had said. He believed that they'd come back, and held on to that for the next five years. But just because you believe in something doesn't make it real.<p>

True, she did come back. Just not the way he'd imagined.

Rather than a loving hug at the sight of her, he instead found her body inside a wooden box delivered at the front of his house.

His father had been completely devoured, while his mother had died from blood loss.

After that, his aunt went insane from the death of her sister, and his uncle turning to alcohol. He beat Levi whenever he didn't do something right, once even attempting to throw a bottle at him.

That was when he had decided to run away to the capital. At the age of 15, he decided to leave home and make a living for himself. That's when he met Farlan Church and Isabel Magnolia. They were both orphans in the capital underground who were working together to rob markets and stray wanderers who were stupid enough to wander into the alleys of the city alone. Levi had helped them in escaping from a baker they had stolen bread from. Ever since, the two of them looked up to him admiringly, even appointing him the "leader" of the trio. Under his leadership they even managed to swipe something no street rat had ever gotten their hands on; a 3DMG. The moment Levi strapped the device on it felt like an extension of his body, like second nature. Isabel and Farlan didn't have much trouble using theirs, either. With the help of their handy new 3DMG, they were now the most elusive and dangerous thugs in the whole city. They could now take whatever they wanted without getting caught.

Levi felt no guilt in what he was doing. In fact, it felt good. It felt good to fly around the city, free as a bird. Now, no one could tell him what to do or where to go. Guilt had never occurred to him. Until that day, however.

* * *

><p>Levi, Farlan, and Isabel had been carefully walking around the outskirts of the city, 3DMG hidden under large cloaks, looking for someone to rob. They always performed their raids at random periods, sometimes as early as 1:00 in the morning to around lunchtime, so that no one could ever predict when they were about to strike. Today they had left at about 9:00 at night.<p>

Suddenly, they all heard a feminine scream escape from a building nearby. The screaming continued as they heard a loud, sharp, whipping sound from what seemed to be a belt.

A gruff, harsh, voice commanded to get out. The trio crouched down around the corner silently, and watched as the girl who had been screaming ran right past them and continued into the night, running to the forest at the edge of the city.

"We should follow her," Isabel whispered. "She might have some jewelry or something of worth on her."

"And if she doesn't?" Farlan asked.

"Then we kill her," Isabel patted her 3DMG.

"Levi?" Farlan turned to his comrade.

"Sounds like a plan," Levi replied. "Let's go."

The followed her to the river that flowed between the forest and the city. She stopped at the edge of the river, her bare toes curling around the soil. Levi got to get a good look at her now, even if it was from the back. She had short caramel brown hair that extended to the back of her neck. She was short, a few inches shorter than him, and wore a flimsy cotton cream-colored nightgown, which was torn at the back, a large bloody gash visible through the tear. Her pale skin and white gown were stained red. The girl stared into the river thoughtfully, nightgown fluttering in the wind.

The three walked towards her slowly, the girl giving no sign that she was aware of their presence.

Farlan and Isabel walked forward, drawing their swords.

"Give us any valuables you have or else," Isabel said, sword pointed in her direction, only a foot away from her.

The girl turned around slowly, revealing her face.

The first thing that stood out to Levi was her eyes. He felt a sense of deja vu flood into him. They were large and honey-colored, just like his mother's. He'd inherited his father's grey ones, but had his mother's dark hair. The look her eyes gave Isabel and Farlan reminded him of his mother during her grandmother's funeral.

Her cheek had a deep lash whip on it, dried blood rolling down to her jaw.

Instead of running or appearing to be frightened, like most people did at the sight of them, she sadly smiled. Her hand moved up to her neck, and she removed a necklace she was wearing. Her fingers opened the heart-shaped locket that was attached to the chain, holding it in her hand.

"The world is cruel," she whispered quietly to it. "I love you. I'm sorry."

She closed it and set in down on the ground in front of her, before turning around back to the river.

And jumping.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: And scene! Sorry this chapter was a little short, but there will be a part 2! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited this story, and if you're a new reader feel free to do so! Thanks!<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

The caramel-haired girl plunged into the river, being swept along the river.

"Hey!" Levi jumped into the river after her, Isabel and Farlan following them on the bank.

Levi grabbed her and carried her with one arm while trying to stop himself on the rocks that his feet barely touched at the bottom of the river.

_Damn my freaking shortness!_

The girl made no attempt to struggle, but at the same time no attempt to hang on to him. The cold water shocked him, his 3DMG weighing him down. He desperately grabbed at a large, pointed rock at the edge of the bank, scraping his hand, but still held on. The other two pulled him and the girl onto land, the three of them breathing heavily.

The girl they had saved had lost consciousness from the coldness, laying down on the ground motionlessly. Levi placed his ear on top of her heart, to hear a steady beat. He sighed in relief.

"L-Levi," Farlan panted. "Why'd you do that? We already got the necklace."

He held up the copper locket in his hand.

"Yeah," Isabel agreed. "That was really dangerous! You could've drowned!"

Levi looked down. Why _did_ he do that? Was it only because she reminded him of his late mother? It felt almost like an instinct. The moment she hit the water he jumped after without hesitation.

He said the only conclusion he could come to. "I don't know."

They all observed the girl on the ground. She looked to be around their age, 16 or 17 maybe. Her face looked placid and calm.

"What's in the locket?" Levi asked.

Farlan flipped the heart open, a picture of a lady with long caramel hair and dark eyes on one side, a boy who looked like the the girl in front of them on the other heart. He flipped it over.

_To Petra _

Was engraved on the back in cursive.

So Petra was her name.

"We could sell this for at least $40 dollars," Farlan observed. "It seems to be made of copper, which isn't all that valuable. But, it was handmade, which gives it a bit of worth."

Isabel pondered over this. "$40 for all this..."

Levi held out his hand to Farlan, who dropped the necklace into it.

He lifted up Petra's head and clasped the necklace together, draping it onto her chest.

"No one would buy it," Levi said, standing up. "It'd be of little use as a necklace to anyone but her, and it would be very hard to melt down, given the brittleness of the material."

The two seemed a bit skeptical at first, but then nodded. They never questioned Levi.

"Let's leave her closer to town. Maybe someone will come looking for her."

They left her leaning against a stack of wheat next to the bakery, hoping that she'd be found and returned back home. They found out through the grapevine a few days later that she had been beaten by her boss, who had been constantly whipping her and was promptly arrested, and was now staying with her father all the time. Apparently she had never said a word about the river or the trio, saying that she had ran away until she fell asleep behind they baker's.

_The world is cruel_, she had said.

And he agreed.

For the first time, Levi recalled, guilt crept into him like water trickling into soil. Of course, he knew that what he was doing was wrong, but he never thought about what the victims of his robberies were thinking behind their fearful expressions.

The world _is _cruel, he thought. It had taken away his mother and his father. It was a world where the strong devoured the weak. He had tried so hard to become one of the strong. But what he didn't realize what that the strong were the feared, the loathed. He'd thought that the titans were the strong and the humans were the weak. But he'd failed to see that all along humans could be just as horrible as the titans.

He'd never forget her name.

_Petra. _

* * *

><p>"Levi," Hanji said.<p>

"What?" he snapped in his usual grumpy tone.

"This is Petra Ral," she gestured to the girl who walked up to her side. "She'll be part of your squad for this mission."

_Petra Ral. _

The name shocked him, remembering that night by the river.

The girl next to Hanji smiled. Her brown hair and golden eyes were just the same as the night he saw her, only she of course had aged just the same as he did, looking more womanly and matured. He could see the faintest mark on her cheek from the lash she'd received all those years ago, back when Isabel and Farlan were still alive.

"Nice to meet you, Levi-Heichou!" she beamed. She gave no sign of recognition.

"Nice to meet you too, Petra," he returned.

Her expression flickered for a moment.

"This might seem weird," she shifted, "but I have the feeling we've met before."

Her bright eyes studied his cold grey ones, trying to search for some sort of memory.

She shook her head. "Never mind," she sighed. "You probably look like someone I've met before."

_That's because we have met before, _he wanted to tell her. But not now, he decided. Later he'd tell her.

"Coming!" Hanji replied loudly, snapping Levi out of it.

"Well, I'm off to get ready. See you!" she dashed off.

"Petra, come this way," Levi said, leading her to his squad's horse area.

"Yes sir," she replied.

They stopped at an area where three other men were chatting.

"Auruo, Eld, Gunther," he said. "This is Petra. She'll be joining the squad for today."

The three of them examined Petra and greeted her.

"Welcome to the squad," Eld said.

"Even if it is for a day, I hope you enjoy your time with us," Gunther smiled.

"Hopefully she doesn't start crying once we're out the gates," Auruo laughed.

Petra frowned. "I don't plan on it."

As soon as they got on their horses, the four of them began to chat and learn about Petra, and vice-versa.

"Hey, Petra," Auruo said.

"Yes?"

"How'd you get that little mark on your cheek?" he drew an imaginary line on his own cheek.

She tensed. "Oh, well," she began to say.

Levi began to tune back into the conversation.

"I don't like talking about it," she said, placing a hand on her cheek. "But I guess at least _someone _should know."

"You don't have to tell us," Gunther said.

"We don't want you to feel uncomfortable," Eld's eyes flicked to Auruo.

"No, it's fine," Petra said assuringly.

"Well, when I was 16, I worked for my father's cousin, who ran the family's jewelry shop. He wasn't the nicest, but I needed the money, and nobody else would take me, so I decided to move in with him and work there. My father and I kept in touch with letters."

She carefully pulled out the locket. "He made this for me. My father," Petra explained. She opened the locket for everyone to see. "This is my mother," she pointed to the left side. "And this is my brother."

"My mother died giving birth to my brother when I was 14," she shut the locket. "My brother only lived to be 5. He was really sick. It was a miracle he made it that long."

That set the mood down for the rest of them. They all had siblings and parents still alive, and nieces and nephews, with the exception of Levi.

She smiled. "But I believe that they're with me right now, protecting me as I leave the walls."

She tucked the necklace back under her jacket.

"Anyways, going back to my uncle, he'd always beat me whenever I didn't do something right. With a belt this thick," she displayed a fragment of air about four inches wide. "I still have a scar on my back from the sharp buckle. And of course, you already know about the scar," she looked down. "I never told my father. I was afraid that he'd make me stop working, even though his work didn't provide nearly enough money to support the two of us."

"One night, the night I received the scar on my back," Petra continued. "I couldn't take it anymore. My uncle got so frustrated with me and told me to leave, so I ran. He called me useless. That he finally realized why nobody else would hire me. I ran to the river by the forest. And then," she paused. Levi tensed, expecting her to describe her horrifying experience almost being robbed by thugs.

"I thought that my uncle might find me, so I ran even further," she said.

Levi could tell by mere observation that she was lying. She was lying pretty well, though, he had to give her that. The other three seemed to buy into it.

"I had ran almost to the other side of town when I was too tired to move on. I fell asleep on top of a stack of wheat by the baker's. The next morning, when he came out to make the bread, he saw me and ran to get my father. He was such a nice man."

_And I stole from him, _Levi thought.

"My father decided to keep me home from then on, after my uncle was fined for abuse and lost the business because he lost so much money. After a few days he killed himself," her voice quieted a bit. "His remaining money was given to my father, his only brother, since he had no wife. That gave us some hope."

Her hands tightened around each other. "Back then, I told myself that the world was cruel. I thought about giving up. But," a smile grew. "I learned that even though the world is cruel, there's also hope."

She looked up, her smile wide. "So that's why I joined the Survey Corps after that," her eyes were bright and cheerful, full of hope. "Because those who fight for freedom are the ones who bring hope."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Well, it looks like I'm going to have to stretch this backstory over a two or three more chapters. Since I did make Levi a bit overcaring at the beginning I'm gonna go back and fix that, as well as sharing some of their "backstory" as to how Levi became that way. I'm going to focus more on Petra in later chapters, as so far the whole story has been following Levi's POV. I hope you enjoyed and feel free to leave a review!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

"Gunther!" said Eren, pained.

"No! Eren!" Petra cried out, but it was too late.

A blast of red lightning came down from the sky, emitting a large pile of smoke from it.

The Female Titan turned it's attention to Titan-Eren, who now stood in the midst of rising steam. Titan Eren ran towards her, fist up, however the Female Titan was a fast thinker and hardened the area of impact where he tried to strike her, inuring Eren's hand.

Squad Levi perched themselves onto a tree branch away from the fight, watching on in concern.

"We need to retreat and find Levi Heichou," Eld decided. "We could get in Eren's way."

The other two nodded, preparing to leave.

The Female Titan turned her head towards them and lifted a fallen tree from where Eren had punched and hurled it towards the trio. It was far too large to be evaded.

"Petra!" Auruo shouted, his large hands shoving Petra down, out of harm's way.

She could do nothing but watch on in horror as the tree flew over her head, crashing down with Eld and Auruo pinned under it.

"No!" Petra's eyes filled with tears as she ran towards the two, who had their bones crushed and blood trickling out of their mouths.

She tried lifted the tree in vain. Her fingernails curled into the bark in frustration, but it would not budge.

"P-Petra," Auruo coughed. "You have... to get out of here..."

"No! Not without you two!"

"He's right," Eld said weakly. "Y-You need to go.. And find... Levi Heichou..."

"But you-"

"Our bones are broken," Eld persisted. "Go on... Or she'll kill you, too..."

"Petra, listen t-to us..." Auruo croaked. "Hurry-"

Suddenly the tree was crushed by the heel of the Female Titan's foot, splattering blood on Petra's face and clothing, and knocking her back ten feet from the impact, slamming her back against a tree. She fell onto the ground, half unconscious.

The shock paralyzed her. Her whole life flashed before her eyes, every moment she had ever lived played in front of her in a second. She laid there, still, while her mentality slowly cracked and fell apart.

The Female Titan dashed forward, foot wet with crimson, paying no attention to Petra. The two titans continued to battle until both appeared to be tired. Suddenly, too late for Eren to react, the Female Titan lunged at him and decapitated his head. She then ripped off the skin on the titan's neck, and bit Eren out into its mouth.

"Eren!" Mikasa called out. But it was too late.

"Don't go," she said quietly as the Female TItan ran off, slower as it was still exhausted from the fight.

"Give Eren back!" the girl shouted, swinging from her 3DMG quickly towards the titan.

* * *

><p>Levi flew through the trees past the body of Gunther, which hung from the tree like a puppet.<p>

His spirit even more fell when he found the a tree on the ground with what used to be Eld and Auruo under it, a bloody mess strapped into crushed 3DMG.

Petra, he thought suddenly.

He searched around the area quickly and saw her in front of a tree, motionless on the ground, covered in blood.

She was dead.

And he was going to make that bitch pay for it.

* * *

><p>The teams were preparing to wrap the bodies to transport back when Levi was approached by Lisa, a member of Hanji's squad. Today she was in charge of body collection.<p>

"Levi Heichou," she said, walking up to him.

"What is it?"

"We couldn't retrieve the bodies of Auruo and Eld. They were completely crushed under the tree."

Levi looked down. "Gunther and Petra, then?"

Lisa looked at him puzzledly. "Gunther's body is already on the cart. As for Petra," she said. "I thought you'd known. She's well and alive, sir."

His eyes widened, his heart freezing for a moment. Petra was alive?

"Where is she?"

"She's unconscious inside the medical tent," Lisa explained.

"Thank you," he said hurriedly before making his way towards the tent.

As soon as he was inside, he found Petra asleep on one of the fold-up beds.

"A member of your squad?" Karl asked. He was a medical specialist and tended to the wounded during missions.

"Yes," Levi responded.

Despite all the casualties Karl managed to smile a bit.

"Well, fortunately, Petra here has no major injuries, other than a bruised spine."

Levi looked down at her. What were the chances that the others had died and she hadn't? That wasn't to say he wasn't grateful, though.

"Good to hear," he said, walking out. If he stayed too long he might get caught staring at her.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I know this was a short chapter, and it was rather rushed, but I decided to keep this one brief since the next chapter is gonna be jam-packed with more background, and then I've got some more things planned for present story. So stay tuned!<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Petra was walking through her hometown in northern Wall Maria, close to the border of Trost, a loaf of bread tucked under her arm.

She was making her way home when suddenly she heard voices crowding around the main street.

Walking over curiously, she heard the sounds of muttering voices and stamping hooves of horses.

_The Survey Corps_, she thought.

Men and women wrapped in stained bandages walked through the main street sullenly, radiating a rather depressing vibe.

The same foul-mouthed comments trickle out from the crowd as the group walks away slowly.

Petra blinked as Commander Erwin passed by silently, walking forward with the rein of his horse in hand. Behind him, atop his horse, was the Lance Corporal Levi staring ahead with an intimidating glare.

The moment he made eye contact with her, she knew she remembered those deep gray eyes from somewhere. Somewhere buried in her memory she knew she had seen them before. Even if it was for a mere half-second, some strange feeling flooded into her. It fell in between relieved and scared, which seems odd, but it was like the feeling you get when you realize you've done something wrong.

She was stuck in her train of thought until the crowd began to disperse out, snapping herself out of it and walking toward her home with that strange feeling stuck in her.

And that feeling would never go away until she found out the truth.

* * *

><p>It was a warm, sunny day when Petra had met Sara. They became best friends when they were in the training squad, and hung out after training was over. Petra had been about eighteen at the time, Sarah about two years younger. Although Petra had been placed sixth in the new recruits, she joined the Survey Corps just as she had always intended.<p>

_"Papa," Petra said._

_"Yes?" he replied._

_"I... I want to join the Survey Corps," her voice was firm._

_He looked surprised at this. "Why's that?"  
><em>

_His daughter looked down. "I want to make a difference for humanity."_

_Petra's father pondered over this for a while. "Petra," he looked her in the eyes. "Whatever you want do in life, I will support you."_

_She smiled in return, embracing him happily. _

Two months later she left to join the military, and quickly made an impression on her fellow peers. Sara looked up to her like a big sister and best friend with her wide dark eyes.

They had been on stall cleaning duty when they were told by another member of the Survey Corps that they were getting ready to go on an expedition in a few weeks.

Sara was replacing the old hay in the stables when she brushed back her straw-colored hair and asked, "Petra? Are you... scared? Of the expedition, I mean?"

Petra looked up from where she was cleaning.

"Of course," she replied kindly.

"It's natural to be scared. But this is what I've been waiting for my whole life," her eyes drifted up to the sun. "The day when I'll leave the walls."

Sara looked up at the sun too.

"Yeah," she agreed.

* * *

><p>Petra's arm raised into the sky as she fired a black smoke round.<p>

Sara looked back at the large aberrant chasing them in disbelief.

The two were placed at the back of the relay row. The two were so unlucky as to have to be chased by an aberrant on their first mission.

"We'll have to fight it, won't we?" Sara's eyes widened.

Petra sized up the titan following them. It was a bit taller than a 7-meter titan, maybe about 8 or 9.

The leader of the group, Nate, drew his blades.

"We have no choice," he said, prompting Petra and Sara to do the same.

"You two distract it while I go for the nape," Nate instructed.

The two girls nodded and readied their blades, then initiated.

Petra fired her maneuver gear at the titan's face and jabbed her blades into it's eyes too quickly for it to respond.

The titan bellowed in pain and began to swing it's limbs around frantically.

Sara attempted to slice its calf, however the titan's large foot swung up and nailed her in the gut, flinging her eight feet in the air.

"No!"

Nate quickly finished off the titan and rushed down to where Sara was.

"Sara!" Petra called out, running towards her fallen friend.

The poor girl had blood trickling out of her mouth.

"Petra..." she mumbled.

"I'm right here," she grasped Sara's pale hands desperately.

Despite her bad condition Sara managed a smile. "I think at least two of my ribs are broken."

She winced. "It hurts.."

Nate clenched his fist. "Dammit..." he said. "I wasn't quick enough."

"No, that's not it," Sara looked up at him. "It was my fault for not being careful enough... Now I'm paying th-"

She coughed up more blood.

"No," Petra tightened her grip on Sara's hands as reality sank into her. There was no way Sara could make it back. She'd already lost too much blood.

She watched on as Sara's dark eyes lifted to the warm, sunny sky.

"I never knew how beautiful it was outside the walls."

Petra looked up. "Yeah."

"You have to go," Sara said decisively to the two of them. "Or you might get left behind."

Nate looked down. She was right.

"Petra," she said happily, tears of joy flowing from her eyes. "Thank you. Thank you for everything."

And then she slowly faded away, and was gone.

"No," Petra said to herself. "I-It can't be."

Her hands shook, feeling the coldness of Sara's skin.

Tears rolled down Petra's cheeks as she began to cry and sob over Sara's body.

"Petra!" Nate said loudly, earning her attention. Her eyes widened as she saw four titans, at least 14-meter class, making their way towards them. They were only a running distance away from the two. "We have to go!"

"What about her body?" she asked, horrified.

His gaze fell. "We have to leave it."

Petra gasped, covering her mouth.

"This is awful," she cried.

Her legs felt numb as she let go of Sara's hands and mounted her horse, which began galloping away.

_Don't look back, _she told herself. _Don't look back. _

Despite what she told herself, her head turned around in time to witness the largest of the titans lifting Sara in its hand and devouring her body messily, crimson splattering its face and hands.

Her arm trembled as a red smoke round shot into the air, tears flying behind her.

* * *

><p><em>"Petra?" Sara asked her friend. "Can I tell you a secret?"<em>

_Petra looked up at her. _

_"Sure," she said._

_"Uh, well," Sara blushed. "I-um,"_

_Petra raised an eyebrow with a smile. _

_"Who is it?" she asked._

_Sara's pale face flushed pink. _

_"How'd you know it was a someone?"_

_"Just a guess," she shrugged._

_"Well," Sara leaned towards Petra. "You promise not to tell anyone?"_

_"Of course," the caramel haired girl assured her. _

_"Well... I have a crush on..."_

_Petra waited. _

_"... On Levi-Heichou."_

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Hey guys! Thanks so much for the reviews, follows and favs! This story also has more than 1k views now, which I never expected! If you haven't already and are interested, you can too.<p>

ReachForTheSky ch.9: Omg yes I love that song! I actually named it after an outtake song from Frozen, if you've seen that movie, which is called Life's Too Short and I thought it was just perfect for this story. It's actually quite a catchy song, lol.

*I removed Mikasa's line (I totally forgot about that at the moment! I was watching some show and the girl was yelling, "The world is cruel! He's dead and he's not coming back!" and I thought, "Ooh I should put that in my story)


	8. Chapter 8

Warning: A bit of vulgar language in this chapter.

* * *

><p>Petra woke up in a cold room under itchy blankets.<p>

_Where am I?_

She observed her surroundings.

The room was relatively small, about half the size of her room in the old Survey Corps HQ. It had old walls with peeling cream-colored paint, with cracks sprouting from the bottom. Next to her bed that was pushed up in the corner, there was an aged table with cobwebs laced between the legs. The floor was hard concrete.

Her gaze drifted to the only thing that looked new in the room, vase atop the dull table. It was a dainty porcelain-blue color with a freshly picked lily peeking out from the inside, the sun from the window shining onto it. Its violet petals had fresh morning dew that shone from the sunlight.

The caramel-haired girl laid back down.

She'd never had nightmares like that for a long time. Especially about Sara.

_Sara._

Even her name made Petra feel guilty. Sara always tried her hardest in hopes of getting noticed by Levi-Heichou. When Petra had been recruited to be on Levi's squad after their first mission together, her immediate thought was of Sara. She was where her dead best friend wanted to be. Petra thought that maybe Sara would be happy for her. Sara never had a jealous thought in her head, Petra told herself. But she knew that was just desperate thinking. Of course everyone had those feelings. Sara was just good at concealing them.

Truth to be told, Petra had some skill in concealing her feelings too. A small bud bloomed in her heart that was planted by the captain. Just, something about him drew her to him. Of course, this was before Sara told her about her crush, but she had her suspicions before that. The way Sara fidgeted with her hands whenever he was around and looked down. When her pale cheeks flushed during her first time meeting him. It had been a crush-at-first sight kind of thing, unlike Petra; her feelings for him had developed over time.

Her vision flashed and she saw Sara's gruesome end, her body bisected horribly.

Petra's hand flew to her temple.

_No. Not again. Calm yourself. Control yourself. Don't let the visions get to you._

Suddenly the large door opened.

The two large men who had come to take her to the psychiatric rehabilitation appeared.

"Time to go."

Petra got up out of bed and quickly fixed the sheets. in a few seconds without complaint. She raked her fingers through her tangled hair.

She walked towards the door and the shackles were on.

The two walked silently behind her as she walked towards the doctor's office, which was apparently located in the same building she was already in.

Petra was escorted to a room where another lady was sitting in.

She had dirt brown hair that cascaded down her shoulders in shiny waves and intelligent eyes beneath rectangular reading glasses.

"Ah, you must be Petra Ral," her voice greeted her. "Sit down."

Petra was seated across from the therapist on a round chair with a glass table in the center.

"So, Petra," the doctor said. "I'm Dr. Marlene, and today I'll be..."

Her voice melted into the background of the other trainees in the squad, talking at the dinner hall loudly.

It was a hot, humid night at the training grounds. After a hard day of work, the trainees were rewarded with some sort of dessert in a cup.

Sara curiously stuck her spoon into the brown goop.

"What is this stuff?" she asked, observing it.

"Hmmm," Petra pondered, scooping up some from her own cup. "It smells like... Chocolate, I think?"

"Eww!" one boy, Kyle, said, from the table next to theirs. "It looks like someone took a shit in a cup and decided to feed it to us!"

"We should be grateful," Sara scolded, "that they're giving us extra food at all. Normally it's just soup and bread."

The boy then grinned evilly and poured some of the goo onto his hand and slapped it right onto her face.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" he snickered, enticing other of the trainees to join in. "Didn't mean to do that! Shit Face."

Sara looked up at him murderously.

But before she could do anything, Petra pulled the back of his collar poured her whole cup down his neck and back.

He howled like a banshee and began to run around hysterically, whipping his sweater and shirt off.

The rest of the trainees all doubled over in laughter as he looked down to see that the dessert was so runny that it had run down to his pants and leaked down his crack.

Even Sara and Petra were laughing so hard that Sara's eyes became watery.

"Look! Kyle shit his pants!" one of the guys called out.

Kyle's face turned a bright red as he rushed out the door in embarrassment.

Sara turned to face her but her voice sounded different, like someone else's. "Petra! Petra!"

The world around her morphed and shifted back into the doctor's office as she found herself laughing just as hard as she did that night, her face reddening at the cheeks.

"She's definitely crazy," one of the men said.

She continued to laugh like Kyle was still there in front of her.

Dr. Marlene pursed her lips and jotted something down on her clipboard.

"Petra," she said forcefully.

Petra's laughing stopped.

"You need to learn to either control your visions, or learn to snap back from them quick. Right now your mind is divided between the past and the present; it's confused and it's blending the two worlds together. If you don't learn to keep yourself in the present you won't be able to do much, let alone serve in the Survey Corps."

The girl looked down in disbelief. It had felt so real. Like she'd been right there. She could feel and remember everything so perfect and vividly.

"Doctor," Petra said quietly. "Do you think I'll be able to serve in the Survey Corps again?"

Dr. Marlene looked at her intently. "That depends on you."

Someone then knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" one of the men asked.

"It's me."

Petra tensed at his voice.

They opened the door.

Levi's cold gray eyes soaked in what he was seeing.

"When will you be done? I'm here to bring Petra to the Survey Corps HQ."

"We're done for today," the doctor smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Petra," she said, extending her hand.

Petra shook it happily and replied with a smile.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: And scene! Short chapter, I know, but I'm finally starting to get into more present story and this chapter was a shift from the past t. The present, although we'll see some more flashbacks from Petra's P.O.V. Anyways, thank you so much for the follows, reviews, and favs, they really mean a lot to me! As always, feel free to do so if you haven't already and I'll have the next chapter up soon!<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

Review Replies:

ReachForTheSky: Yes, actually! I'm planning on adding them in in a few chapters :D

Btw, this is actually taking place after the Female Titan incident. This is happening a small time-slot that I "added" in between this and the manga. Just a head's up, I might add some spoilers for the manga since that's the only way I can keep this story going.

* * *

><p>Petra walked behind Levi, following him closely. She rubbed her sore wrists from the tightness of the once-present shackles.<p>

The two walked quietly, children and adults alike staring at them. Levi kept walking forward stiffly, Petra trailing behind him. She wanted to say something to him, anything, just to talk to him, but the words stuck in her throat at the thought of Sara.

_Why remember this now? _she scolded herself. _After all those years?_

She kept her eyes down and walked along. They soon arrived at the Survey Corps HQ, where Petra was shocked to see her father. His face looked grim.

"Papa? What are you doing here?" she asked.

He looked confused. "Petra, I thought you knew. I came to take you home."

Her expression shifted from surprised to sad to angry.

"Take me home?! After how hard I've worked?!" she said angrily.

"Honey," his voice was soft. "It's for the best. You're aren't in any condition to fight right now."

Petra spun around to face her captain.

"You knew about this? And you didn't tell me?!" she demanded.

"If I told you, you wouldn't have wanted to go. Besides, your father's right. It's for the best."

She looked at him in disbelief.

"I thought I could trust you!" tears welled up in her eyes. "But now you just want to send me off so that you don't have to deal with me anymore!"

"Petra, that's no way to address your superiors," her father said.

She took off and shoved the doors open, running as fast as she could.

"I'll get her," Levi said to her father, following her.

As soon as he got out he caught the slightest glimpse of her between two buildings.

He ran after her, around corners and through streets until she finally stopped by the side of the river that flowed around the city.

_Not again, _he thought.

She sat down on the riverbank and curled up into a ball, her chin resting on her knees.

Levi walked up to her and stood next to her. She immediately curled away from him.

"Go away," she said weakly.

"What would you do if I did?"

"Why do you care?" she asked sharply. "You just want to get rid of me."

"You'd be wrong then," he said. "Now stop acting like a child."

"Is it acting like a child to want to help humanity? I just-"

"Petra!" he said loudly. "You're in no position to wield a blade, let alone help humanity. Don't you understand that?"

"Then I might as well be dead," she said, looking down at the river.

"Don't even think about it," he snapped. That last word caught him off guard.

She looked up at him, then down again.

"Too late for that," she said softly, dipping the tips of her fingers into the cold water.

She remembered this feeling. Except it had been all around her body. The coldness of the river swallowing her whole and comforting her.

She remembered jumping, and then nothing but an icy chill surrounding her.

Then after that, she felt warmth.

Warmth clinging onto her and holding her, keeping her from freezing.

And then nothing.

...For the second time.

* * *

><p>"Petra!"<p>

She felt warmth again, shaking her.

"Petra!"

She opened her eyes to see Levi above her, his hair and uniform soaking wet.

Her bangs were plastered onto her face by water, and her clothes felt heavy and stuck to her skin.

And then it all clicked in her head. Everything made perfect sense.

"What were you thinking?!" he said half-angrily, half-concerned. More angry, to be honest.

"Heichou?" she mumbled. "It was you, wasn't it? That night..."

The traces of anger in his face disappeared.

"... Yes."

"All those years ago... I never knew," she laughed.

Then he did something she never expected. He embraced her, and wrapped his arms around her.

"Don't ever do that..." he panted. "Again."

At first she was too shocked to respond but rested her face in his shoulder and whispered, "I promise."

* * *

><p>She woke up again, feeling like she was on a boat, rocking back and forth.<p>

Her cheek was pressed up against warm, damp, cloth, which could only mean Levi was carrying her.

"Heichou," she said. "Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you back to HQ for the night before you go back home," he replied.

"But..." she weakly protested. "I.. I won't be able to see you anymore..."

"I know."

Some silence passes by before Petra said, "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me... I didn't realize what was happening before it actually did."

A twinge of guilt pricked Petra. She suddenly realized that Levi and her father were telling the truth when they said she wasn't ready to fight. She felt foolish.

"It's nothing."

Truth to be told, he felt filthy whenever he was wet besides in the shower.

They finally arrived at HQ, where Petra's father was waiting.

He rushed over, concerned.

"What happened to you two?" he asked.

"Some little kids thought it would be funny to drench us with water from their windows. One of the buckets fell and hit Petra on the head," he fibbed. "Luckily for them they got away before I had time to do anything about it."

"I'm sorry," he said.

"No, it's fine," Levi responded. "But we should keep Petra here for another night before we send her back. Would that be alright?"

"That sounds good," her father said. "I'll come back tomorrow."

He leaned over and kissed Petra on the cheek.

"Oh, and thank you, by the way," he said to Levi. "For taking care of Petra."

"It's no problem," the corporal responded.

Petra's father smiled at him before leaving.

* * *

><p>Levi carried Petra to her quarters in the HQ and woke her up.<p>

"Take a shower and come downstairs for dinner," he said.

"Yes, sir," she replied tiredly.

Meanwhile, he had to take a shower himself.

He felt disgusting.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I decided to add some fluff in this chapter since the only other time I really added some was in chapter three or four I think, and considering that there are seven fluff-less chapters I decided to *stuff* some in. (See what I did there? Yes? No? Okay)<p>

Okay, so the first nine chapters were kind of like a part 1 of this story, but I barely got into much of the main plot I planned out, so I'm thinking that maybe this story will be in three or maybe four parts. Stay tuned!


	10. Chapter 10

Levi woke up early as usual and got dressed, going downstairs to eat an early breakfast like all the time.

Petra wasn't supposed to leave until about noontime, so they at least had a few hours to spend together before she left.

_Spend together?_

He wasn't quite sure how he felt about Petra, in terms of more than comradeship. Especially since after the 57th expedition. Most of the time when people came back from missions they came back missing limbs, fellow soldiers, and sometimes even sanity. It never occurred to him that these things would bother Petra. Of course, when he got the report from Dr. Marlene about her experiencing constant flashbacks, he realized that she'd have to leave. Someone like that would get herself and possibly others killed outside the walls. But despite her current condition, he still cared about her and wanted to keep her safe and inside the walls for the time being.

He began to eat breakfast when Petra came down, dressed in a simple button-up shirt under a brown sweater and a darker brown skirt. In her hands was a stack of neatly folded clothes that was her uniform. A plain bag containing her belongings hung from her elbow. She smiled, somewhat less happily than normal, then saluted him when she entered the room and set the clothes down and began to prepare coffee like she used to do. She poured him his coffee and placed it in front of him wordlessly for the last time before she left. He thanked her and took a sip, remembering the day when he had first tried the bitter drink.

_"What's that?" Levi asked his mother, who had a strange cup of steaming brown liquid in her hand._

_Her bright eyes glowed as she laughed and allowed him to smell some._

_The warm steam drifted up into his nose and filled it with a pleasant scent._

_"Can I try some?" he asked._

_"You might not like it," she warned him. "Besides, this is your father's."_

_"Just a little sip?" he persisted._

_"Ah, fine," Julia smiled, pouring the coffee into a mug. "Be careful. It's really hot."_

_Levi took the mug into his small hand and eagerly took a sip._

_His expression immediately soured._

_"It tastes... bitter," he said. "It smelled a lot sweeter."_

_His mother took the cup back and said, "I warned you, didn't I?"_

_Levi looked down in embarrassment. _

_"Yes," he said._

Petra took a seat at the table and ate silently, her spoon clicking against her bowl of mushroom soup.

After they finished eating, Petra volunteered to wash the dishes and brought them over to the sink.

_Why isn't she talking?_

"Petra, sit down," Levi told her after she had finished.

She did as she was told and sat down next to him.

"You're supposed to stay at home for at least a few months, and Dr. Marlene will visit every week to check on you. As soon as you're stable, you'll be permitted to rejoin the Survey Corps."

"And if I don't become stable?" she looked down.

He pursed his lips. "You won't be able to."

"I see."

She fidgeted with her hands nervously.

"I'm glad, though," she smiled slightly. "I'm glad I won't be a burden anymore."

Levi wanted to protest, but he was interrupted by the sound of knocking on the wooden door.

"Hello?"

Petra grabbed her bag at the sound of her father's voice.

She placed her uniform in front of her captain.

"Thank you, Heichou," she said, shouldering her bag. "Thank you for everything."

Her amber eyes stared into his with the compassion his mother had for those around her sadly.

"You're welcome," he replied. "I should probably see you off."

She smiled.

"I'd like that."

"Heichou, before I go," she said quietly. "I just wanted to tell you..."

"That I..."

_Go on, say it._

Her heart pounded in her chest.

"I..."

_Tell him._

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm glad I got to serve under you," she finally said.

Petra mentally slapped herself in the face.

_You idiot! You're not gonna see him for at least a half a year and you can't even tell him how much you care about him?_

_Well no, _another voice in her head rang. _He doesn't need me to._

She didn't realize she was blushing.

"Never mind that," Petra stammered, approaching the door.

The caramel-haired girl was stopped short when she felt a rough hand grab her wrist.

"No," Levi said. "I also wanted to tell you that these past years we've worked together have been..."

_Just tell her._

Petra watched him in fascination. He'd never been at a loss for words before.

"...enjoyable," he spit out.

The moment he said it, he wanted to punch himself. Out of all the words he had meant to say, "enjoyable" was not one of them.

"Oh," Petra's cheeks flushed at his words and the contact of their skin. "Thank you."

_Damn, _Levi thought. _Even after all these years we can't hold a conversation that isn't awkward. _

"Well," she adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "I should go."

The corporal looked down slightly and let go of her.

"Yeah."

Petra opened her mouth to say something but quickly shut it and opened the door, where Petra's father was.

"Good morning, Captain Levi!" he chimed.

"Good morning," Levi replied. "I've just come to see Petra off. She's been a remarkable soldier. Hopefully she'll recover soon."

"Is that so? I hope she does too!" Petra's father agreed. "Ready to go, Petra?"

Petra nodded. "Yes, Papa."

"Thank you, Captain Levi," Mr. Ral smiled.

Levi nodded in response and watched in somewhat sadness as Petra walked off into the distance, looking back before she turned around the corner to smile and wave at him.

He awkwardly waved back as she laughed and disappeared.

As he went back inside, he placed his hand on the wings of freedom on Petra's jacket.

_I'll miss you, _he thought.

* * *

><p>One week later<p>

"Papa, I'm going out now," Petra said.

Her father responded back and she kissed him before opening the door of her house to go outside.

She wore a simple hazelnut brown long-sleeved shirt over simple pants. She walked through Trost curiously, trying to memorize its walkways and buildings.

_Come on, where is it?_

Petra searched around for it, but she found no sign.

She walked up to an old shopkeeper lady.

"Excuse me," she said. "Do you know where the library is?"

The old lady smiled and directed her to it.

"Thank you so much," Petra smiled.

"You're very welcome," the lady replied.

Petra walked towards the library eagerly, following the directions the lady gave her.

She recognized the building immediately.

Gleefully walking in, she felt better just being in there. Petra intently walked into the first aisle she saw, honey eyes examining the titles. Back in her old town, she'd spend her days in the libraries, reading books ranging from combat to cooking. Books had been her comfort when she had none.

First she picked up one book, then another, and another. Plopping herself down on one of the seats nearby, she opened the cover and lost track of everything around her. After she had finished the first book, she moved on to the second. Petra was in the middle of the third book, a chapter book, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up to see a man about her age next to her. He had dark chocolate eyes with short light brown hair that was darker than hers. He was taller than her by a few inches, yet he radiated a childish kind of aura.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But we're closing now."

Petra's cheeks reddened.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," she gulped, closing the book. "Uh, is it too late to check this out?"

She gestured to the book she had in her hand.

"Of course not," he laughed.

"Come on," he signaled for her to follow him to the counter. She did so and he went behind the desk and sat down, looking up at her.

"Hmm, I haven't seen you around here before," he observed. "Are you a refugee?"

"Well, kind of," Petra said. "I joined the Survey Corps before the wall fell. I lived right outside the border of Trost and northern-south Wall Maria. My father's uncle lived here. So he moved there when the wall fell," she explained. "It wasn't that hard for him to get here. He lived with my great-uncle before he, my great-uncle died."

"I see," the man pondered. "Wait, so if you joined the Survey Corps, why are you here?"

Petra gasped. She covered her mouth and began to cry, not because she was sad but because of the horrible memories flooding back into her.

"Hey!" he said, concerned. "Are you okay?"

The girl's sobs died down before she wiped her eyes and cheeks.

"I don't know how to answer that," she replied.

He waited until she was done cleaning her face.

"So, what's your name?"

"Petra Ral," she said.

"Pretty name. Mine's Daniel Castur."

"Daniel, then? Petra smiled.

"Yeah," he smiled in return. She liked his smile. Warm and playful.

"To answer your question," Petra said seriously. "Well, I..."

She explained to him everything from the start, from her enrollment to the present. He was a good listener, watching her intently as she spoke.

"So they kicked you out?" Daniel asked.

Petra looked down. "Not really. Well, kind of. I'm seeing a doctor right now who's helping me get better. It's working," she said. "But in six months I'm going to have a formal assessment. If I pass as stable, they'll let me back in. If I don't, well, you know what happens."

His expression was concerned. "Wow. That's intense."

She laughed. "Yeah, I guess it is."

His eyes shifted down to her book.

"Oh man, we were talking so long I forgot why we came here," he said. "Well, since you don't have a library card yet, we'll have to get you signed up for one."

Petra examined the watch on her wrist.

"It's getting a bit late," she determined. "We can do it tomorrow, if that's alright with you."

"Sure," he agreed. "I'll be here. I'll keep your book reserved, by the way. Just keep it a little secret."

He winked, causing Petra to grin.

She slipped on her sweater. "Thanks. I better be going, then."

Daniel stood up and opened the door for her like a real man.

"Thank you, Daniel," she said happily.

"No problem," he assured her. "Be careful on the way home."

"I will," she responded. "See you tomorrow, Daniel."

She came home and ate dinner with her father before changing to go to bed.

Collapsing onto her mattress, she looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully.

For the first time in a long while, she genuinely looked forward to tomorrow.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: And scene! Thanks everyone so much for the 2k views! I didn't expect so many in such a short amount of time!<p>

As for the story, I wanted to add a foil to Levi in this story to mix things up a bit. Expect to see more from Daniel in the future! As always, stay tuned and leave a constructive review if you'd like. Thanks!


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: This chapter is the beginning of pt. 2 of this story, focusing more on Petra and to an extent Daniel. Btw, for Rivetra I found that a really good song is Leave out All the Rest by Linkin Park, and for Dantra (I'm sure you can guess what this is) I thought Stay by Rihanna was pretty fitting for what I've got planned, hehe.

Oh, and what's going on with Levi right now is basically the part in the manga with Pastor Nick and all that. If you haven't read the manga yet, I suggest you do so because 1) this story contains spoilers 2) it has a really interesting plot line. It doesn't have the best art but not the worst either so yeah, but I seriously can't wait to see this in the anime.

Review Replies:

ReachForTheSky- The point of the coffee flashback was to show another similarity between Petra and Levi's mother, since I was thinking it would be interesting, lol. Oh, and thank you for your consistent reviews on every chapter! I really appreciate it. :)

**Pt. 2- Daniel**

It had been a month since Petra had left the Survey Corps. The first few days had been sad and quiet, until she resolved to go out and do something with her life. Her resolve had taken her to the library, where she met Daniel Castur, one of the funniest and sweetest friends she had ever made. He worked at the library most of the time, only getting time off on Sundays. Daniel didn't seem to mind though, in fact he appeared to enjoyed his job a lot, even though the pay was scarce. A small part of Petra was jealous of him. He got to spend all his time in a library and get _paid _at the same time. Lucky. Anyways, the two began to spend more and more time together each day, recommending books to each other and talking about ones they had both already read. It had felt so good, Petra thought, to finally have someone she could talk to normally. She found that spending time with Daniel soothed her flashbacks away significantly, to the point where she could actually fell them coming and snap out of it before she got caught up in it. Petra soon began spending almost all of her time during the day at the library, and brought lunch with her each day to eat. She couldn't help though, the nostalgic feeling of her days making coffee for Levi in the mornings when she poured her coffee for her father. She also couldn't help the guilt that pricked her heart when she thought of Levi in comparison to Daniel. It was unfair, really. They were opposites; Levi was distant and strong, while Daniel was kind and a bit clumsy, in a funny way. Levi didn't give her the sense of happiness she enjoyed around Daniel; Daniel didn't give her the feeling of safety that she had when she was around Levi. Every morning she woke up to a pillow of tears from the nightmares that got worse and worse.

"So, I told you a lot about me already," Petra said. "But I don't really know about you."

He looked up.

"There's not really much to know," he mumbled.

"Why's that?"

"My life's pretty plain and simple. I was born here, in Trost. My mom and dad worked in the fields. After the gate here was broken, my parents didn't make it out in time. Our house was really close to the gate. I only made it out because I was out running an errand near the gate to Wall Rose," he lamented. "I only found out they were dead when I saw my neighbor there. She told me that she saw my parents get eaten as she was running away. She barely made it, she said."

"That's awful," Petra said softly. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, but it's nothing compared to what you've seen. You've seen people get eaten left and right, haven't you? I mean, after all, you were in the Survey Corps."

Petra nodded sadly. She had. She had seen it over and over again.

But the word "were" somewhat irked Petra.

* * *

><p>Daniel and Petra were eating their lunches, and they were talking over sandwiches Petra had made for them.<p>

"I'm just nervous I won't be able to make it back," she said.

Daniel quietly ate, looking down.

"You could stay," he suggested.

"Stay?" Petra asked, taken aback.

He nodded.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "If you stayed here. You won't have to see another titan again if you did. You won't have to deal with losing those around you to them."

Petra was at a loss for words.

Stay here?

She imagined herself spending the rest of her days in the safety of the walls, in the library with Daniel. She'd never have to put her life on the line. She'd never have to worry about her friends dying in front of her. She could live her life in peace for once.

"I..." she let out quietly.

"I know it's a lot to think about," he said, placing his hand over hers. It was big enough to cup hers and his skin was soft. "But it's an option. You don't _have _to go back out there, you know."

He removed his hand and stood up.

"Please consider it, at least."

With that being said he left, leaving her sitting there.

That night, she placed her head on her pillow, fearing what would come when she closed her eyes.

_"Petra!" a familiar voice yelled in agony._

_"Help me, Petra!"_

_"Daniel!" she called out, running towards his voice. She was in her Survey Corps uniform again, her maneuver gear strapped on. The town was stained with blood, on the ground and on the walls of houses and shops, but there were no people or corpses to be seen. _

The gate was sealed, _Petra thought in disbelief. _This can't be.

_Suddenly, a horde of about ten titans ran right in front of her, past her in the direction of... _

_the library._

_"Daniel! I'm coming!"_

_Petra fired her maneuver gear at the rooftop and ran along it, following the titans._

_The tallest one, a 15-meter class, reached its hand into the library and withdrew it with Daniel in its hand._

_"No!" _

_"Petra, help me! I don't want to die!" Daniel wailed, squirming against the titan's grip._

_She drew her blades and attempted to fire her maneuver gear at the titan's nape, but it was suddenly gone, the blades dull and rusted._

_The girl could only watch in horror as Daniel was swallowed whole, the titan smiling in satisfaction. _

_In her shock, she spun around to run, but the same titan that had eaten Sara was right behind her, staring her in the eye before grabbing her and opening its mouth._

Petra woke in horror to find that her face streaked with dry tears and a wet pillow again.

_Is this my fear? _she thought. _That I won't be able to save anyone I care about? That I never have?_

The image of the titan that ate Sara sent shudders through her. She remembered Daniel's words:

_"You could stay. You won't have to see another titan again if you did. You won't have to deal with losing those around you to them."_

But could she really?


	12. Chapter 12

Petra woke up to the sound of chaos on the streets outside her home.

She quickly got dressed and rushed outside, her father nowhere to be seen.

The people were shuffling along the streets, panicked expressions on their faces, talking among themselves.

"What's going on?" Petra said.

"Move," a man shouted gruffly, knocking her back.

An old lady, the same one that had helped her find the library, ran after him desperately yet to no avail, she was much too slow.

She broke down in tears.

"That was the last bread I had," she sobbed. "M-My family..."

Petra helped her to her feet.

"Wait here a minute, please," Petra said, rushing back into her house.

She came back out with an extra loaf of bread, placing it into the lady's arms.

"Keep this for your family."

The lady looked up at her and burst into tears of joy.

"Thank you so much, dear," she wiped her eyes. "You have no idea how much it means to me."

Petra nodded.

"What's going on here?"

The old lady's eyes widened.

"You don't know?"

The girl shook her head.

"Wall Rose has been breached," she explained, terrified. "Titans were spotted in the main territory."

"What? That can't be!"

"Nobody knows what happened," the lady said. "But now Trost is nothing more than an island waiting to be cornered by the titans! We're all trapped here!"

Petra looked down.

_If the titans breach the gate, it's over..._

"Petra!" a voice hollered.

"Daniel!" she called out to the direction of the voice.

Daniel ran over to her.

"Daniel, you know this young lady?" the old lady asked.

"Yeah," Daniel replied. "We've been spending time together at the library."

Despite the current situation she laughed. "Oh, I see. Well, I'll leave you two alone. Thank you, again, for the bread."

With that she spun on her heel.

"It's not like that!" Daniel's cheeks flushed.

She waved her hand.

"Don't mind Charlotte," he scratched his chin. "She likes teasing me."

Petra laughed.

"I can see that."

"Anyways, they're ordering us to stay here while they try to somehow seal the hole in the wall. I'm not sure how they'll do it though," he glanced in the direction of the sealed gate. "It's not very likely another boulder's gonna show up out of nowhere. Even the Survey Corps probably won't be able to-"

"They can do it," Petra gritted her teeth. "I know they can."

She looked away. "I'm sorry."

"You really want to go back, don't you?" Daniel asked sadly.

Petra nodded.

"I thought about what you said earlier. But nowhere is safe for long, not even the walls, if no one fights. Even if I did stay here, especially given recent events, it's hard to imagine that I'll be safe. But thank you," she added. "For the offer."

"I'm going to say it again," he said, staring her dead in the eyes. "You have to stay. You can't just throw away your life like this! Do you have any idea how many people die in the Survey Corps?"

"I do," Petra replied firmly. "That's why I-"

She was cut off by the sight of a member of the Military Police.

"The Military Police? What are they doing here?"

Her eyes widened as the one she had seen in her dreams came into reality.

Momentarily forgetting Daniel, she bolted off towards him.

"Heichou!" she called out.

He turned around in surprise at the sound of her voice.

* * *

><p><em>Petra, <em>he thought.

A glimmer of exhilaration sparked in him.

_She's here. She's been here the whole time._

She ran towards him, the gap in between the two getting smaller and smaller.

Her hair was slightly longer, but not much. She looked healthy, her eyes bright and cheerful. Even in plain clothes she still looked beautiful.

_Why am I thinking this? _he sputtered at himself.

He walked towards her slowly, however instead of a simple exchange Petra threw her arms around him and began to sob.

_It's been so long since someone hugged me, _he thought. He'd forgotten what it was like.

She wiped her eyes after letting him go.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It's just... I've missed you."

_So have I._

Instead he nodded.

"You look well," he said.

"Yeah," she agreed.

"How are you?" he inquired.

"Better," Petra smiled. "But, the nightmares won't go away... I haven't been sleeping well."

He remembered the nights when she'd snuggled up next to him like a child in her sleep and rest her head on his arm.

"Sorry to hear that," was what he said, but the moment their eyes met she knew what he was really thinking.

_I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you._

* * *

><p>"Petra!" Daniel ran up to her, panting. "Why'd you just run off like that?"<p>

She turned back to him.

"I was just saying hello to my captain," she explained.

Daniel's eyes examined Levi like he was looking at a knife soaked in blood.

"So, you're one of the people leading all those soldiers to their deaths, I take it?" Daniel spat.

"Daniel!" Petra said angrily.

Levi's expression did not waver.

"That's right."

"Don't you have any shame?" he demanded. "Don't you care about your comrades? Why do you just let them die?"

"Daniel, stop," Petra urged him.

"No," he snapped. "He needs to hear this."

"You guys from the Survey Corps treat life like it's nothing," he said coldly. "You'd gladly let good people like Petra die, and you wouldn't care."

"Stop it!"

"And now you're just standing here like a lazy asshole while people in the wall are being eaten by the titans."

"...Is that all?" the corporal asked before walking up to Petra.

"Petra, I'll see you soon," he said before turning around to leave.

"Heichou!" she called out in vain.

She spun around to face Daniel.

"Why the hell did you do that?" she demanded.

"People like him don't deserve your services."

"It's my decision who I serve," Petra retaliated harshly. "It has nothing to do with you."

"So you're just gonna throw your life away like all those other soldiers?"

"It's not throwing my life away!" she yelled. "I'd rather die fighting than die inside the walls like a coward!"

Daniel's eyes widened in hurt.

Petra ran past him towards her house, a mixed feeling of guilt and anger swirling inside her.

She spent the rest of her day sleeping, before waking up to eat dinner.

Walking down the stairs, she heard two voices quietly talking inside the kitchen.

"Please at least consider it," a horribly familiar voice urged.

A moment of silence followed before the door opened and shut.

Petra walked into the kitchen to see her father sitting there with a troubled look on his face.

"Papa, what's wrong?" she asked.

"We were discussing..." he said uncomfortably. "Your engagement."


	13. Chapter 13

Two days later

It was the evening when Petra heard a knock on the door. She was alone eating since her father had left to gather more food, which would be scarce in the next few days. Yesterday she had spent the whole day at home, not wanting to see Daniel.

The girl cautiously walked over to the door and peeped out the window before opening it.

Especially given the situation, she had to be careful.

However, she sighed in relief and excitement when she saw who it was before opening the door.

"Good evening, Heichou," she said happily. "What brings you here?"

Levi was dressed in a black suit with his signature cravat, looking somewhat tired.

"I just wanted to drop by to say hello," he replied.

Petra opened the door wider and invited him in.

He stepped inside and took off his shoes while Petra ran to the kitchen to make coffee for him.

Levi sat down at the table as Petra placed the steaming hot mug in front of him.

He took a sip, and immediately he felt like he was in the Survey Corps HQ again. The coffee he had attempted to make himself had ended up boiling over and creating a mess in the kitchen, which of course he had to clean. Each morning he had to make due with a hot cup of water, which wasn't satisfying in the least.

The corporal savored each sip of the drink.

Petra sat down in front of him with a cup of tea that smelled like honey.

"How are the appointments going?" he asked.

"Good," Petra replied in between a sip. "I think I'll be able to make it back."

"That's good to hear," Levi put his cup down.

"What are you doing here in Trost?" Petra inquired.

"I'm still not able to fight because of my ankle," he explained.

"Oh," Petra said. She'd forgotten about it.

Levi looked at her, puzzled.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Her eyes met his. She knew she couldn't lie.

"Daniel wants to marry me."

_That son of a bitch._

"What did your father say?" Levi asked her nonchalantly.

Petra's fingers clenched into a fist.

"He said... He said it was up to me, but he'd rather not have me marry."

"Didn't he say before that you were too young to marry?"

"Yes," she replied.

She looked down. "Besides, I don't even feel that way about Daniel. He's nice and all, but too childish."

_No shit._

"Then don't marry him. Simple as that. Only an idiot would want to marry a girl when they haven't even started a relationship."

"I know, but," Petra shifted uncomfortably. "Daniel would bother me until I say yes, I'm sure."

Levi stared her in the eyes. "It's your decision, not his."

"Heichou..."

"Hey, I told you to call me Levi when we're alone, didn't I?"

She laughed.

"Sorry. I forgot."

He relaxed a bit.

"Well, I guess I should tell you what's going on with the Survey Corps," he said.

"I'd like that," Petra lifted her cup to her lips.

Levi filled her in on everything going on with Pastor Nick and the breached wall.

"They're currently trying to find the sight of the breach," he informed her. "Hopefully they'll find it soon."

She nodded, but then let out a small laugh sadly.

"What's funny?"

"It's just that... It had to happen now, of all times, didn't it?" she stared into her cup of tea. "That I'd become so... so _useless_."_  
><em>

Much to Levi's surprise, she pounded her fist on the table, which she usually never did.

"I hate this feeling. I feel..."

Levi's hand moved over hers.

"Hey. You're gonna be fine," he assured her. His fingers intertwined with hers. The warmth made her feel giddy inside.

"Levi..." she said. "I want you to promise me something."

"What is it?"

"I want you to promise me to never allow me to get in your way."

He was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"You have many duties that you have to take care of... It gets difficult if you have to watch over me and do your job at the same time and I don't want to get in the way any long-"

"That's bullshit, Petra," Levi interrupted her. "You've never gotten in the way."

His fingers tightened around hers.

"You're one of my duties," he told her. "No, more than that."

Petra's eyes widened in surprise, and Levi could pick up the slightest flush on her cheeks.

"I didn't know you thought of me that way."

Suddenly someone started rapidly knocking on the door.

"Petra! Petra, it's me! Daniel!"

_Go f*ck a titan. _

"If you're here to ask me to marry you, the answer's no," she called out.

"No! It's not about that!" his voice urged. "It's your father!"

Petra bolted up, causing Levi to do the same.

"What?" her voice quivered.

"He was found on the other side of town, stabbed to death!"

For a few seconds Petra just stood there, dumbfounded. Her eyes stared into blank space, her mouth slightly open. She stayed this way as tears began to flow out of her eyes. Then, she suddenly lost her balance and almost toppled over until Levi caught her. He bent down onto his knees with his arms around her. Petra's face rested on his shoulder, her body motionless until she began to sniffle and then cry. She sobbed uncontrollably, and Levi could do nothing but gently stoke her back.

The door opened, and Daniel rushed in to see the two of them.

He frowned.

"What are you doing here?" Daniel asked harshly.

"Look who's talking," Levi shot back. "I was invited in, unlike _someone _here."

The boy stared down at them like he was watching a snake eat a rat.

"I don't suppose you have a special relationship with Petra, do you?" he asked.

_This f*cker better shut up before I knock his teeth out._

"She's a comrade and a close friend," Levi replied bluntly. "Isn't it natural for one to care for a close friend?"

"How close?"

_Closer than you._

"I've known her for the past six years. You've known her for, let's see, two months?"

Daniel let this sink in. His cold brown eyes stared into Levi's.

"Nothing more than a close friend?"

"What did I say before?"

He turned around to leave.

"The Military Police will be here in the morning for questions for Petra."

Daniel shut the door.

Levi gently placed Petra on the couch and locked the door for good measure.

Walking back, he looked down at her somewhat pitifully.

She had fallen asleep but was still crying.

Reaching a hand down, he wiped away the wetness and scooped her up in his arms.

His ankle was good enough for him to carry her, and he entered one of the rooms upstairs near the staircase as it had Petra's belongings in it, figuring it was hers.

He tucked her under the soft covers, and fixed her head so that it nestled atop the pillow.

The corporal debated whether he should leave or stay, considering that if he left he couldn't come back as he still had a position to fill. Petra was right about it being difficult to watch over her and perform his other duties. Not in a bad way, it was just hard.

Suddenly Petra's fingers dug into the sheets, bunching them together. She squirmed and cried even more. Levi grabbed her hand, and she clung to it tightly.

"Hei..chou.."

_I can't just leave her alone. She needs me._

Sighing, he decided to spend the night.

Levi was about to take his clothes off when he realized he didn't have any extras. If he slept in his suit, it would become unbearably wrinkly. If he slept in just his boxers and undershirt, he'd freak out Petra. He knew she was sensitive when it came to... intimacy.

Finally he neatly placed his clothes on a nearby table and slid under the covers. Trying to keep a good amount of distance from Petra, but not too far, and with that he closed his eyes and forced himself to sleep.

* * *

><p>A second later, he jolted up at the sound of a high-pitched scream.<p>

Petra was sitting up with her hands covering her mouth.

"What is it?"

"I-I'm sorry for startling you," she stuttered, her cheeks red. "I was just... Surprised to see you here. I woke up, and you were right there..."

Levi internally felt embarrassed, but kept a calm face. He scratched his head.

"Well, I figured I'd just spend the night here and keep you company."

"Really? Thank you..."

She looked down.

"The Military Police will be here soon," Levi told her. "They're going to ask questions."

"I see," Petra said blankly. "I.. I have no family left.."

Levi wanted to say something to make her feel better, but what she had said was true.

She fingered the locket in her hand.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked him.

"What is it?"

"Well... That night..." she paused. "Why didn't you take the locket? You could have sold it for a decent amount of money."

Silence followed for a few seconds.

"... This might sound weird," Levi said. "But it's because you... you remind me of my mother..."

"Your mother?" Petra asked.

He nodded.

"You have the same eyes. She made coffee for my father every morning. And she'd always wear this locket that he gave her. It meant everything to her. She was buried with it after she died on an expedition."

"She was in the Survey Corps?"

"Yes."

"... I see."

Blushing slightly, she grabbed her clothes and stood by the doorway.

"I'll change in the bathroom. You can dress in here."

With that she left, leaving Levi there awkwardly.

* * *

><p>Levi came downstairs after dressing to see a cup of coffee already there for him, however there was another cup of coffee right next to it. It was black coffee, which Petra didn't like.<p>

"Petra? Who's this other coffee for?"

She spun around.

"For Papa, of course," she laughed.

The color drained from Levi's face.

_What do I do?_

"Petra," he walked towards her, placing his hands on the counter top with her waist pinned inside.

"H-Heichou? What are you doing?"

"What do you remember from last night?"

"I remember... You and I were talking," she stammered. "And then-"

A sharp gasp escaped her lips.

She began to shake when Levi held her arms and stared her in the eyes.

"Calm down."

"He's dead."

"Petra, calm down."

"Papa's dead!"

"Calm down," his voice got more severe.

"No! I can't! I can't knowing Papa's-"

"Look at me," his hands held her face, forcing them to lock eyes.

"Tell me, would your father want to see you this way?"

A look of surprise and shame fell onto her face.

She laid her cheek on her captain's shoulder silently for a few seconds before they heard knocking on the door.

"Military Police!" a voice boomed. "We're here to question Petra Ral!"

* * *

><p>Author's Note: And scene! Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more!<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

Petra invited them in, gesturing for the two officers to sit down.

Deep down she hated the Military Police. She remembered when Sara was afraid that she'd join them after she placed sixth, but Petra reassured her, saying she wouldn't join them even if they weren't so corrupt. As far as she knew, the Military Police officers were drunkards who forced the new recruits to do all the work. But despite all this, she prepared and placed two mugs of coffee in front of them and took a seat.

Levi leaned against the wall. The officers had been shocked, even scared when they caught a glimpse of him. He wasn't exactly the most welcoming person.

One of the officers pulled out a clipboard, the one with dark, curly hair.

"Petra Ral," the other one with straight, blonde hair said, shuffling through papers in his hands. "Member of the Survey Corps, enlisted at 15. Placed sixth in the Trainee Corps."

"Hmph," he put the papers down. "Ms. Ral, we'd like to know what your father was doing exactly before he was killed."

Petra's hands were tightly clasped together in her lap, shaking.

"He was going out to get food," she explained. "He told me that food would be hard to get, given the situation, so he was going to buy some before it became too scarce."

The curly-haired man jotted this down.

"And where exactly was that?"

"The main market, I believe."

He flipped through the pages again.

"It says here that your father's body was found south of the main market," his eyes squinted. "It appears from the location of this house that he was headed directly north from here."

It made sense. When she'd go to pick up food or buy clothes, she'd walk past the library and down the street would be the market.

"That's the normal path we'd take to go there, sir."

"I see."

His eyes scanned the papers.

"Where were you at the time he went out and was killed?"

A small part of Petra believed they were accusing her of murdering her own father, but she shoved that feeling aside.

"I was here, at home," she informed him. "The whole time. I never left."

"Were you alone?"

"No. Levi-Heichou came to discuss business with me after. He was here when the news was broken to me."

He flipped a page.

"And who did that?"

"Daniel Castur."

Just the name coming out of her made her mouth taste sour.

"Do you believe there is anybody who would possibly have had a reason to kill him?"

She shook her head.

"No, sir. My father was well liked by many of the people here. Refugees and former residents alike."

Her throat felt dry, and her eyes watered. She hoped she didn't look like she was about to cry.

"And does he have a reason to kill anybody?"

_Of course not, _she wanted to hiss at them.

She shook her head.

"My father doesn't believe in violence unless it's against the titans. He'd never harm someone unless it was in self-defense."

The officer with the curly hair looked at his fellow and nodded.

"That is all the information we need."

He straightened the papers.

"We'll have to do some more investigating and get to the bottom of this case," he said. "Given the information we'll have to assume it was a thug attack of some sort."

They stood up to leave.

"Good day, Ms. Ral."

Petra opened the door for them and then shut it, locking it.

She sobbed as she fell onto the couch, burying her face into the pillow.

"This is horrible," her voice was muffled by the fabric. "Who would do this?"

Levi walked toward the couch and stood over her, saying nothing, only looking down at her with a sense of pity.

After a minute she wiped her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry," Petra said quietly. "For showing weakness..."

Levi's eyes met hers and locked onto them.

"Weakness is when you don't have the resolve to keep fighting," his voice was firm. "Grief is sadness and mourning. There's a difference."

Her eyes widened in surprise, still staring into Levi's.

"You're not weak," he assured her. "That's why I chose you."

Petra looked down and the world swirled around her.

Suddenly she was back at the Survey Corps HQ, eating her dinner alone three months after Sara's death. It was a feeling she felt she'd never get used to. People surrounding her talked among themselves, enjoying each other's company, even if it was sadly temporary. A spoonful of soup warmed her throat as the mission played itself in her head over and over. She was surprised when she heard a voice behind her.

"Petra."

She looked up to see Levi standing there, and she felt sick. Her head was still scrambled after what happened with Sara and her feelings for him only made his presence worse. Not that it was his fault, though.

"Yes, sir?"

She hoped her voice didn't show the emotions she was feeling underneath.

"I'd like to speak with you privately."

The room got quiet almost as soon as he entered, and everybody's eyes were fixed onto him.

"Yes, sir."

She stood up, her stomach churning.

He walked toward the door to the hall, his boots making a distinct sound against the floor in the quiet room. Petra tagged behind.

When they were out in the hallway, he turned around to face her.

"I'd like to recruit you into the Special Operations Squad," he stately plainly, cutting right to the bone. "Your performance in recent missions has been particularly notable."

She wanted to vomit all over the floor.

Instead she nodded.

"Yes, sir."

He examined her.

"You look sick. Is something wrong?"

_You have no idea._

"No, sir."

The coldness of his eyes made her want to curl up in a ball in the corner and hide.

"Is that so?" he asked rhetorically. "Very well. Meet up with the rest of the squad in the dining area tomorrow morning."

She nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"You may leave."

She internally sighed and was about to do just that when he suddenly grabbed her shoulders roughly.

"Petra!" he shouted, not angrily, but like he was trying to get her attention.

_This never happened. _

She paused, thinking it over.

_This is the past. _

When she blinked everything was gone and she was seated on her couch, Levi's hands on her shoulders.

"I left again, didn't I?" her voice quivered.

He nodded.

"How long did I tune out?"

"Only a few seconds. When I tried to get you to wake up you came right back."

"No, that can't be," her eyes were wide. "It... It felt like ten minutes."

He looked at her in concern.

"How long does it normally take you to snap out of it?"

"At least a few minutes," she recalled.

Levi thought over this.

"You should tell Dr. Marlene. She probably knows what this means."

"Yeah," Petra agreed.

After a slight pause, Levi spoke.

"I have to return tomorrow. I leave today at noon."

A voice in Petra's head cursed at him, wanting to tell him that she needed him to be there for her. Before she knew it her hand grasped his.

"I knew you had to leave eventually," her voice was soft. "I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can."

She laughed slightly.

"You should go," she told him. But deep inside she wanted just the opposite.

"Yeah," he agreed.

They got up and stood by the door.

Petra smiled halfheartedly.

"Tell Eren I said hello, okay?"

Levi nodded. Something didn't seem right.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

He didn't answer for a few seconds.

"It's nothing. It's just that we won't be able to see each other until your examination."

"Well, I'm willing to wait," Petra replied.

After a pause she looked down.

"I'm going to ask you again," she said. "Please... Please don't let me get in your way."

"Petra, I told you-"

"Promise."

He sighed.

"Fine. I promise."

She beamed.

"Good," her voice lifted. "Well, technically, I'm getting in your way right now so you should go..."

"Hasty to get rid of me?" he raised an eyebrow.

Her face reddened.

"No! It's just-"

He abruptly lifted her chin up and placed his lips on her forehead softly.

The contact made her entire face warm.

"Goodbye, Petra," he released her and opened the door.

After recovering from her shock, Petra ran out and wrapped her arms around him.

"Be safe, okay?" she said.

"I will," he replied.

Levi was the one who walked away this time, and Petra waved to him and he waved back.

Her heart fell as he disappeared from view, and went back inside.

The rest of the day she spent gathering her father's belongings. Although he hadn't written a will, since she had no other family his belongings and the house were now hers.

She ate a late dinner and went to bed, the covers cold.

Her eyes closed and she drifted to sleep, fearing what she would see.

* * *

><p>Petra awoke to the sound of what sounded like a door banging, and she bolted up.<p>

Lighting a candle hastily, she wandered downstairs cautiously, candle in front of her.

She glanced around the living room, seeing no one there.

Stepping into the kitchen, her eyes widened in shock when she found that the door was busted open and was about to scream when a piece of cloth wrapped around her jaw into her mouth and a pair of hands grabbed her arms.

A dark cloth was pulled over her head and she kicked and struggled against their grips but they were at least twice as large as her, she guessed, and she was outnumbered.

Her hands were bound together and she was tossed over a man's shoulder like a rag doll.

The girl tried to scream but it was muffled by both the gag and the sack.

"C'mon, you idiots! Hurry! They'll find us!" a voice said insistently.

Petra wanted to scream in anger or throw up in disgust.

That voice belonged to Daniel.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: And scene! Did you see that coming? Haha. Anyways, as always, thanks for reading and stay tuned for more!<p> 


	15. Chapter 15

Update: Omg 4k views. Thank you guys so much! R&R!

* * *

><p>A few days later<p>

Petra awoke tied to a chair, her hands bound together with thick, splintery rope that cut into her wrists. A thick cloth covered her mouth.

The room she was in looked old and dusty, with a cold cement floor and lit around the walls. In the corner of the room was a bed with worn out sheets and a single pillow, and next to it a desk with books and papers stacked onto it.

Squinting her eyes, she recognized the books as the ones she recommended that Daniel read.

_That bastard._

She attempted to scream, but the cloth was so tightly tied that it almost suffocated her, and she found it hard to breathe.

Just then, the door opened, and Daniel stepped in casually.

"Finally awake, huh, Petra?"

He approached her and went behind her, untying the cloth.

"You son of a bitch!" she shouted loudly.

"Shh! You're being too-"

"Why did you kidnap me?" Petra demanded.

"You should know by now," he stated. "I'm just trying to protect you."

"Protect me? You call this _protecting _me?!"

"Yes, actually. I'm keeping you from your death in the Survey Corps."

"I told you, already! It's not your choice to make!"

"That captain of yours is an idiot," he said sourly. "He thinks-"

"Shut up!" her voice was harsh. "Don't you ever talk about him ever again."

His eyes gleamed with some sort of fascination.

"Oh, I get it," his fingers held her chin, and she pulled her face away in vain. "You love him, don't you?"

Her eyes widened.

"Thought so," his lips stretched into a sinister smile. "Well, I'll let him live with the guilt of not being able to protect you."

Petra felt sick. He hit right home.

"H-He'll come back for me," she said weakly. "I know he wi-"

"Will he, really?" Daniel asked sarcastically. "I beg to differ. I thought you were smarter than that. Didn't you tell him not to let you get in his way?"

She felt like she had just been stabbed. For once Daniel was right.

"How did you-?"

He chucked.

"I'd rather not say."

His brown eyes stared into hers in satisfaction.

"Anyways," his hand held her jaw. "You'll be staying here from now on, Petra. The town thinks you died thanks to the fake blood I planted there. The Military Police are coming over in a bit for a final questioning."

She gritted her teeth and lashed out at him, biting down on his hand as hard as she could.

Daniel cried out and tried to pull his hand away from her mouth, only succeeding at pulling Petra's chair across the floor.

Petra's mouth was filled with bitter blood. It rolled down her chin and pooled up on the floor.

"Get off me!" he shouted, shaking his hand desperately.

When she didn't comply he was forced to punch her jaw until she let go.

He panted heavily, his hand coated in red.

"You know, Petra," Daniel's said venomously. "You're hard to deal with sometimes. That's probably why your stupid captain left you."

"... Shut up..." her voice was heavy. "... You don't know anything..."

His brow furrowed, but then he smiled. Before she had found his smile somewhat attractive. Now it was just the opposite.

"Don't I? Huh. Well, I've got a questioning to get ready for," he informed her, tying the cloth back onto her mouth, tightly. "Don't miss me too much while I'm gone."

She sent him a murderous look, which he returned with a nod before stepping out.

* * *

><p>After she was sure he was gone, Petra lifted the chair up by hopping, effectively scooting the chair across the cement.<p>

_I'll get out of here._

Although in reality it was only a few inches, each scoot felt like a huge step.

_I'll get out of here no matter what._

Her mouth tasted like rust, Daniel's filthy blood dried onto her skin.

Eventually she was in front of the door, and tried slamming the chair into the door lock.

The impact sent a wave of pain through her shoulder, but it felt like nothing.

Suddenly she heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

_Shit!_

Daniel swung the door open, and saw Petra an inch away from it.

His brow furrowed.

"Trying to escape, are we?" he said, grabbing the back of the chair and dragging it away from the door.

_No. _

She struggled pointlessly, her hands tied together.

Daniel dropped the chair down on its back and Petra hit her head hard on the floor, and everything went dark.

* * *

><p>The next night<p>

Petra awoke to the sound of banging on the door of Daniel's room, which she deduced to be underground. Daniel walked over to the door cautiously, a sharp knife in his hand.

"Who are you?" he asked shakily.

There was no reply.

Suddenly the lock of the door flew to the wall and the door swung open loudly.

There were about four men at the door, all armed with knives and axes.

Petra had trouble seeing as she was still stuck to the chair, but her eyes widened in shock when she saw an ax embedding into Daniel's stomach, and watching him fall to the ground in a bloody mess.

_No._

The men walked over his body and observed Petra.

"She'll do the trick," one of them said.

Another one, the one with the bloody ax, dropped his weapon and walked towards her.

Petra squirmed as the man ran his hand over her chest.

She closed her eyes, tears welling up.

"Stop," she tried to say through the cloth.

"Hmm," he squeezed her, ignoring her pleas. "She won't fetch that high of a price."

The man with the knife frowned.

"It's all we've got," he said. "Better than nothing."

The ax man stood up, grunting.

"Whatever."

"That Daniel kid hired us to kidnap a member of the Survey Corps," the person who seemed to be the leader said, kneeling down to look at her face.

"Oh?" the ax man said. "Interesting."

The knife man nodded. "From what I've heard she's Petra Ral of the Special Operations Squad."

"Special Operations Squad? Fascinating," his friend said. "Well, no time for more chitchat, we've got business to do."

One of the men walked over to Petra and untied the ropes holding her hands to the chair.

"Don't move," the man with the knife said, holding it in front of her throat.

After the knife was removed, the sack was pulled over her head again.

_No no no. _

_Not again._

Petra was then punched in the skull hard, and she lost consciousness.

* * *

><p>"Erwin," Hanji said, walking into his hospital room.<p>

He looked up.

"What is it?"

She looked down sadly.

"Petra Ral is missing," she said sullenly. "They believe her to be dead, but her body has not been found."

Erwin's brow furrowed.

"I see."

There was a silent pause.

He then looked up at her.

"Does Levi know yet?"

"No."

"Don't tell him."

Hanji's eyebrow raised.

"Why not?"

"That's an order."

"Yes, sir," she replied before leaving.

Author's Note: And scene! This chapter was a bit rushed, but I might re-do it and fill in some gaps. Anyways, thanks for watching and keep watching for more!


	16. Chapter 16

Cold.

That was the first thing Petra felt.

Eyes widening in shock, she found herself standing in a huge glass, like a stasis tube.

Looking above her, she found that the top was sealed off.

Everything around her was pitch black.

Petra's fists pounded the glass, causing her knuckles to ache.

She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out.

Her fists pounded harder.

_Help me! _she wanted to scream. _Someone get me out of here!_

Suddenly she saw what looked like a candle drift towards her.

Squinting, Petra was shocked to see Levi holding it.

His cold gray eyes stared into hers, not the way he normally would, but the way he'd look at a titan, deciding how he'd end it.

The glass vibrated as her knuckle made impact.

_Heichou! _she shouted in vain.

But he did nothing, just watching her in fascination.

Feeling something wet at her feet, she saw water rising from her toes to her ankles.

She pounded harder.

_Levi! Levi help me!_

He continued to watch.

The water was rising fast.

Tears streaked her face as her sore fists dragged down the sides of the glass.

The water was now at her waist.

_I thought that you... I thought that maybe..._

Floating in the water that lifted her feet off the ground, Petra struggled to stay afloat.

Her face was turned upwards, trying to get as much air as possible.

_I thought that maybe you thought of me more than just a subordinate..._

The space between the water and the top of the case was so small that Petra's nose touched the cold metal.

Her eyes opened, the water stinging her eyes.

Levi stood there, candle in hand, stiff as a statue, observing her.

Suddenly his words rang in her head.

_"You're one of my duties," _he had said. _"No, more than that."_

Staring at the captain, she placed a hand on the glass, lungs burning.

His eyes gazed plainly at her, not at all the eyes she had remembered.

_You're not real, _she thought, and the glass cracked open.

* * *

><p>Petra bolted awake with her back on a cold, hard floor.<p>

Her wrists were tied behind her back and the foul-tasting gag was in her mouth again.

She blinked the dust out of her eyes, which saw a long, dirty tunnel with people lined along the sides of it.

She closed her eyes.

Every passing second felt like an eternity.

_Why is this happening to me?_

_Why...Why is reality so harsh?_

Suddenly she was kicked in the back.

"Hey," the man who had the ax said. "It's time."

One of his friends grunted as he accepted the coins in his hands from another man, a poor-looking one with a large stomach and hollow cheekbones. He stared down at her with a horrible gleam in his eyes.

* * *

><p>The men were starting to untie her when one of them collapsed.<p>

"Hey!" his friend shouted.

He fell to the ground, too.

Their blood rolled across the floor and stained Petra's sweater and neck.

She tried to break free when a pair of hands did just that, hastily untying the ropes.

"C'mon," a feminine voice said, cutting the ropes on her feet and her mouth. "If you want to live, come with me."

It seemed like a much better option.

Petra bolted up and the lady who saved her grabbed her wrist and began to run through the tunnel.

The lady had a long black cloak, similar to the ones the military wore, but longer, to her ankles. Her long dark brown boots made minimal sound even when she was running. The hood of her cloak was pulled over her head, so she couldn't see her face. Her pale hand was strong but gentle.

They continued to run until they were at the edge of the tunnel, and they could see what looked like an exit. The lady took her to a corner wall.

Stopping, the lady turned around to Petra.

"Petra," she said. Her voice suddenly sounded very familiar.

Her hand reached up to remove her hood.

"Do you remember me?"

Petra recognized her immediately. The cat-like green eyes. The long, wavy black hair. But what she didn't remember was the scar running down through the corner of her eyebrow that stopped on her cheekbone.

"Auntie Olivia?" Petra asked, her voice shaking. "Is that you?"

Olivia nodded.

"Yes."

"But I thought that you-"

"No," Olivia said. "That was all just a cover story. I told your uncle that I was done with him. After the way he treated you, I didn't want anything to do with him. He beat me and knocked me out. After that, he sold me off to the Underground City and told the authorities that I was stolen."

She shook her head. "I never forgave him, and I doubt I ever will. But I wanted to go back for you. I couldn't, though," her teeth gritted. "I was sold to human traffickers just like you were. It took me almost a year to escape. That year was like a living hell. The only thing that kept me going was the hatred that I felt. I knew I had to escape somehow. And when I did, I knew the first thing I wanted to do was kill him, and get you out of there. But, I found out that he was already dead and you were back living with your father. At first I didn't know what to do, but I decided I'd kill the same human traffickers who I was sold to. And all the other ones I could find. But the Underground City is so vast, we're lucky you were relatively close to the edge."

She hugged Petra, then looked her in the eye.

"You've grown to be such a beautiful young woman," she said. "And strong, too. I heard you joined the Survey Corps."

Petra nodded.

"Yes, I did. I joined a few months after Uncle died."

"I see," Olivia took her hand. "Well, we can talk more once we get to my house."

After they made their way up a wide, old staircase they walked about a half mile until they reached a forest with a cottage near the front.

Opening the door, Olivia lit the house with candles.

"Petra, you can wash up there and we can eat and talk after that, okay?" Olivia said, handing her a stack of clothes.

"Thank you so much," Petra told her before leaving.

Filling the bucket up with water, Petra didn't realize just how filthy she was until now. She hadn't washed up for a few days and had dirt and blood in her oily hair and on her skin. When she dried up she put on the new clothes, which smelled clean and fresh, and the fabric was soft and comfortable.

Walking down the old wooden steps, she caught a whiff of what seemed like her favorite chicken stew from when she lived with her aunt and uncle.

She tried not to rush to the kitchen like a child and saw Olivia facing the stove top, the chicken stew bubbling in the large pot.

Olivia turned around and smiled.

"I remember you really liked this when you were staying with us," she said. "I decided I'd make some for you. Sit down please."

"Thank you," Petra smiled and sat down.

A minute later Olivia placed a bowl of the steaming hot soup down in front of her.

"So, Petra," her aunt sat down in front of her with a bowl of her own soup. "Would it be alright if you filled me in?"

She nodded. Petra explained to her everything that had happened after she left, including Daniel. However, she left out the part with Levi, which seemed a bit embarrassing.

Olivia listened patiently and intently, but then smiled.

"There's something you're not telling me," she said. "What is it?"

_How does she know?_

Petra blushed.

"Uh, well..." she stammered. "The days after my father died, Captain Levi stayed with me before he left. I just thought that it would be a little... well..."

"You like him?" Olivia asked.

"Huh?" Petra said, surprised. "... To be honest... yes..."

She looked down at her soup.

"But he probably thinks I'm dead."

"I see," her aunt said. "We'll have to find a way to make your presence known again."

She stood up.

"You should get some sleep, Petra," she told her. "You've been through a lot."

"Thank you, I will."

Olivia kissed Petra's head.

"Good night."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: And scene! Tbh, this chapter was insanely rushed and I think I'll go back and fix it later. But just a little spoiler for next chapter, I'm planning on shifting the focus back to Levi for a while. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more!<p> 


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note: 7k views! Thank you all so much for your reviews and support!

* * *

><p>"Petra," Olivia said, gently shaking her niece awake. "I have news."<p>

Petra quickly woke up and rubbed her eyes.

"Good morning," she yawned. "Wh..What is it?"

Olivia's eyes were steady.

"The Survey Corps said that if you're not found within two weeks, you'll be pronounced dead."

Petra's brown eyes widened.

"Then, what do I do?" she asked.

Her aunt seemed to ponder this.

"You need to go under-cover," she said. "Rejoin the Trainee Corps and work your way up, then join the Survey Corps."

"What?" Petra said in confusion. "But that'll take three years! Why not just go back now?"

"After three years your condition will become less severe, maybe even fade," Olivia told her. "You're in no shape to fight now. What would happen if the flashbacks came in the middle of a fight? You'd die, possibly killing comrades."

Olivia's green, cat-like eyes looked at her with sincerity yet sharpness. What she said was true.

"Besides," she continued. "That Captain Levi you were talking about... He used to be a thug in the Underground. I saw him walking around the tunnel touting a stolen 3DMG under his cloak. There's something not quite right about him."

"Not quite right?" Petra asked. "Like what?"

"I've heard talk about-no, it doesn't matter," she said, correcting herself. "What matters is we get you back to the Survey Corps as quickly and safely as possible. Safely being the first priority, of course."

Petra thought over this.

"But they'll think I'm dead," she said quietly. "_He'll _think I'm dead.

"I know," Olivia replied. "But right now, it's the best we can do."

Silence followed for a while

"Okay. I'll do it," Petra said decisively. "But I want to know one thing first."

"What is it?"

"I was wondering what you would do while I'm gone."

She smiled slightly.

"Well, I've decided that I'll monitor the Survey Corps and keep you updated. Meanwhile, I'll try to find a job and then go from there."

"Oh."

Olivia nodded.

"We'll wait for a month until you can apply. Grow out your hair until then, and we'll dye it," she said. "And don't work out or exercise as much as you normally would, we don't want to make it obvious that you were in the Survey Corps. If you do that, you'll blend in well. I heard they're getting many older trainees recently."

"Alright then," Petra said.

**One month later**

"Okay, Petra," Olivia said. "It's done."

Petra's new hair was about armpit-length, jet-black, and pin straight, with slightly shorter bangs at the top.

She laughed at herself in the mirror.

"Wow, I look, well, _different_," she said.

Olivia smiled.

"A good different," she commented, pulling out a small box.

She opened it, revealing a small case with two round caps on it.

"These were stolen from a laboratory researching eyesight that I got from the black market," Olivia said, uncapping the top. "They're called contact lens."

Inside the case there were two floating gel-type circles with a brownish-green ring in the center on some sort of watery liquid.

Olivia showed her how to put on the lenses, and explained to her that they changed her eye color.

Petra gazed at herself.

"I look like an almost entirely different person," she said in awe.

Her aunt nodded and smiled at her.

"These lenses were designed to almost "melt" into your original eye color to change them. It forms a very thin film over your real eyes which doesn't irritate them. When you rejoin the Survey Corps you can use a special solution to revert the effects, and we can re-dye your hair black throughout the years and change it back to brown later."

Petra nodded.

"Alright, I received the trainee uniform from the application yesterday," Olivia pulled out a pair of white pants and a jacket. "Get changed at meet me outside, okay?"

"Okay, thank you," Petra said, picking up the clothes.

* * *

><p>Olivia hugged Petra.<p>

"Remember what I told you, okay?" she said worriedly.

_"Petra, don't show _too _much proficiency with the __maneuver gear, or they'll know something's up. And try to make friends if you want, if you can. Your new name is Katherine Hahns. Hahns is a common last name, nobody will suspect a thing. Katherine is also a common name, too. Don't let anybody know your real name."_

She nodded.

"Yes," Petra replied.

Olivia kissed Petra's cheek.

"I'll see you in a month, okay? Always remember that I love you."

"I love you too," Petra responded.

Her aunt smiled before melting into the crowd of parents and loved ones.

Petra was instructed to line up before the instructor.

After the introduction, he began to go through the rows just like her instructor before had.

When he reached her, she saluted just like she had all the time.

For a moment his face flickered in a look of recognition, and Petra was afraid he had seen right through her, but it faded almost as soon as it was born.

"What's your name?" he asked abrasively.

_Petra Ral, _she wanted to say, but she brushed that thought away.

"Katherine Hahns, from the Trost District of Wall Rose," she said, trying to pitch her voice down like Olivia taught her.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here to join the Survey Corps and fight the titans," she said almost monotonously.

He gazed into her eyes intently, but she held her ground and stared at him back.

He then turned and walked to face the next person.

_That was close, _she thought.

* * *

><p>That night they were assigned their bunk beds, and Petra was on the top bunk of the left side of the cabin.<p>

She unpacked her belongings and went to dinner, not saying a word.

"Hey!" Petra heard a voice beam from behind her.

She turned around.

"You're Katherine, right?" a girl about her age, maybe year or so younger, asked. "That was really cool, how you said that to the instructor."

"Thanks," Petra replied.

The girl ran up to her.

"Mind if I sit with you during dinner?" she asked.

'Katherine' shook her head.

"Not at all."

The girl smiled.

She had long, dirty blonde hair, almost golden brown, tied loosely and draped across her shoulder, and a peculiar shade of brown eyes, almost like brown fall leaves. A few almost undetectable freckles were sprinkled across her nose and the tops of her cheeks.

"I'm Lisa, by the way," she said happily. "Lisa Oaks."

"Nice to meet you," she responded politely yet nonchalantly. "As you probably already know, I'm Katherine Hahns."

The blonde girl nodded.

"So, why did you want to join the Survey Corps, anyways?" Lisa asked her as they walked.

She froze up inside but kept walking.

"Well," she began to say. "I just want to fight the titans. I mean, they killed almost everybody I love."

When she was younger, Petra was taught not to lie. Something didn't feel right, but she went along with it.

"Oh," Lisa's eyes saddened.

"Why did you join?" Katherine asked.

"Me? Oh, well, you see," she stammered. "My family was losing money, so they didn't have enough money to feed me and my three younger brothers. Nobody would give me a job, and all my other brothers were too young to enlist, so my parents asked me to enlist and join the military."

Katherine's face was blank.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"Well, of course, I enlisted," Lisa told her. "At first I was mad about it, but then I realized it was for the best, if I want my family to survive."

"I see," Katherine said. "That's very selfless of you."

Lisa's face flushed with embarrassment.

"I just figured I had to do the right thing," she said.

"Huh," Katherine commented quietly, almost to herself. "I wish I could be like that."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Hey guys, I'm back! We just finished testing yesterday, and I'm so happy! I'll post the next chapter tomorrow, I need to do some tweaking to fix it to the new plot I planned. As always, thanks for watching and stay tuned for the next chapter!<p> 


	18. Chapter 18

Author's Note: Hello again! Sorry I didn't get this up yesterday, I had a lot going on and I didn't have time to write. But! That's why I present you with this chapter today! Also, some of you were wondering about Levi's reaction to Petra's "death". Well, you'll just have to wait and see for later, maybe next chapter or the one after that, depending on what I think works. Oh, and I also wanted to say that if you haven't been caught up on the manga, to go and read it since this story is following the current manga plotline and you'll see more of the manga plot in later chapters. R&R!

* * *

><p>"Katherine Hahns," Keith Shadis said. "Your turn."<p>

Katherine stepped up to the maneuver gear practice device and hooked her belts in. As she was lifted into the air, it felt easy, like second nature, but of course she didn't want everyone to know that. It was almost impossible for her to pretend to be even a bit off-balance, she had taught herself the basics over and over. But even so, she managed to pull through and make it look convincing.

"You pass," he told her, jotting down something on his clipboard. "Next."

After practice, she met up with Lisa, who had sweat beaded on her forehead and her long hair braided tightly to make it slightly shorter.

"How can you do it so easily?" Lisa panted. "I mean, you got the hang of it so much faster than the rest of us!"

Katherine shook her head.

"No, I actually was having a bit of trouble myself," she fibbed. Using the maneuver gear to her was like breathing and walking. "I guess it just takes some sort of natural talent or something."

She heard a smirk behind her and spun around.

There was a tall, lanky boy with hair the color of rust, thin bones and a pair of dark sadistic eyes.

"Skill?" he laughed. "Using that thing takes barely any effort!"

A part of her wanted to agree with him, but Petra simply frowned.

"For you, maybe," she replied.

He shrugged.

"Right? I wouldn't be surprised if I ranked first," he boasted.

He looked down at Lisa, who probably looked like a doll to him in height and smiled crookedly.

"Well, I'm not surprised that little Lizzie here's having trouble using the 3DMG," he said. "You always _were_ a klutz, after all."

Lisa frowned and bit her lip.

"Don't call me that, Christopher," she snarled.

The boy grinned in reply.

"Don't be like that, little Lizzie," he said. "You know, I-"

Lisa opened the door, whacking his face in the process, storming out.

Katherine caught up to Lisa and walked by her side.

"Sorry if I sound rude," she said quietly. "But what was that all about?"

Lisa sighed.

"When we were younger, Christopher always bullied me and called me Little Lizzie. We lived in the same village, right? So everyday when I went out to play with my friends he'd always mess up all of our games or throw mud at us. He liked to pick on everyone, but for whatever reason he seemed to like picking on me especially. As we got older, I started to stand up to him. For a while, he left me alone, and everything seemed great, but after a few weeks he began making fun of me again. I got mad, and I, well," she began to laugh a bit. "I beat him up, and after that he never talked to me again. What I didn't know was that he was enlisting the same year as me. I ran into him the second day of training, and he started calling me by my old nickname."

She exhaled.

"That's pretty much it."

Katherine allowed herself a small smile.

"Sounds like he likes you," she teased.

"Huh?! What? No!" Lisa exclaimed before calming herself.

"Uh, let's talk about something else," she suggested.

"If you say so."

* * *

><p>Petra was laying in bed, her long, dark hair sprawled onto the covers. She closed her eyes, drifting into sleep.<p>

The second she did, she saw Daniel's body on the ground, his stomach cleaved open, the cement below them stained with red.

His eyes were lifeless, but they stared up at her like a doll's.

She wanted to scream, but like in nearly all her dreams, she couldn't.

He suddenly stood up, which should have been impossible.

In zombie-like motions, his hand grasped the handle of the axe and staggered towards her.

Petra backed up until her back was to the wall.

She wanted to run, but her feet were planted firmly on the ground, refusing to move.

The girl could only watch in horror as Daniel raised the axe to swing at her, and she closed her eyes.

* * *

><p>Petra woke up, startled, bolting up in bed.<p>

She placed a hand on her head, trying to calm herself.

_Just another nightmare, _she thought. _It's nothing. It's nothing. It's nothing._

Petra found that recently she hadn't been getting visions during the daytime, which of course was a good thing. But almost every single night she had a nightmare of some sort. Some were worse than others. Sometimes they were just simple flashbacks. The ones that really got to her, though, were the ones when she didn't know what would happen and couldn't do anything about it.

Sitting up and brushing her hair out of her face, she looked out the window to see that it was about four, meaning she had two more hours of sleep.

Laying down her tired head, she closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep.

But there was still a small thought at the back of her head that she couldn't shake off.

It was the thought that Levi thought she was dead.

If she had been told that Levi was dead, she probably wouldn't believe them. But it wouldn't be unbelievable to think that an insane, mental, fragile and defenseless girl living in one of the most crime-riddled cities within the walls had been kidnapped, raped, and murdered. It wasn't _that _uncommon of an occurrence.

Despite these thoughts she knew she had to trust her aunt. She was the closest thing to family she had.

On the nights when her uncle beat Petra, her aunt would come up and treat the stinging lashes, comforting her, becoming something of a mother figure.

Besides, she knew that good things came to those who wait. If she just had the patience to wait a while, she would see him again.

* * *

><p>"Listen up, maggots!" the instructor boomed. "The current trainees ranking in the top ten will be the leaders for tomorrow's supply missions in Trost."<p>

His eyes looked down to a clipboard.

"Note that the top ten will likely change over the course of time," he said loudly. "Although it is possible, the top ten trainees ranking now might not necessarily be the top ten by the end of your training."

"In no specific order, the top ten trainees are Christopher Pierce, Johanna Whitney," he continued on with the list of names. "... Katherine Hahns, and Edward Martin. The ten of you, step forward."

The ten called lined up in a row in the front.

He then assigned the other trainees to their leaders and dismissed everybody who wasn't in the top ten.

After everybody else left, they were each handed a paper.

The instructor explained the details of the plan and dismissed them.

Katherine met Lisa by the dining hall, who smiled and ran up to her.

"You ranked the top ten!" she said excitedly. "I told you you were good!"

Katherine shrugged in reply.

"I just don't want to let it go to my head," she said. "Like him."

She gestured to Christopher, who was surrounded by about a dozen other trainees.

"Of course it was easy!" he bragged.

Lisa sighed.

"As expected of Christopher," she sighed.

She looked at Katherine in the eye.

"Um, do you think maybe you could give me some tips?" she asked shyly.

At first she was confused, but Petra smiled a bit.

"Of course," she replied. "What kind of tips?"

Lisa beamed.

"Thank you!" she said happily. "Well, um, as to what _kind _of tips..."

* * *

><p>The next morning, the top ten trainees had to wake up exceptionally earlier than usual for instructions on where to move supplies and who was doing what. Each group had about 15-20 members each to split the work up evenly.<p>

"Katherine Hahns," the instructor said. "Your group will be in charge of Survey Corps goods transportation."

Petra's stomach tightened, her heart pounding. She couldn't help but hope.

_What if I see him there? _she thought.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Sorry I couldn't get this chapter up sooner! I've got a lot going on, but hopefully I'll still have time to write. Thanks for all your reviews and support! This story is one of my favorites that I've written so far, and I'm so glad that you guys like it too. As always, thanks for reading and tune back in for more!<p> 


	19. Chapter 19

Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm sorry I haven't updated for so long, I kind of abandoned this story for a long while, lol. But don't worry, I'll try my best to keep up with this story. Anyways, I'm so excited to say that this story has over **12k views**! Almost 13k, actually. This is by far my most popular story. Tbh, I didn't really think that anyone was going to like this story, it would just be one of those things that has twenty chapters and like three reviews, haha. But as it turns out, you guys really like this story, and I'm so happy to hear that. Your reviews are like little Christmas presents bestowed from Heaven, I'm not even kidding, when I get a new review I'm like "OMG OMG NEW REVIEW YESH I MUST READ IT NOW OMG". Well, that's it for my exceptionally long author's note, enjoy the chapter.

* * *

><p>Petra sighed at all the heavy crates containing 3DMG and horse gear among other things, such as cloaks and jackets, etc. They reminded her of her trainee days with Sara.<p>

"Alright, let's start moving these crates!" Katherine said to her team. She had gotten the clipboard containing all the transfer information from an acquaintance from the Survey Corps named Eric. He had taken a second look at her face but then shook his head and handed her the info.

They trainees with her all nodded and starting grouping up into pairs of two and taking each crate. Fortunately, Lisa was in her group and they moved the crates together. Petra could have managed herself, but she had to pretend she was weaker than she actually was.

After all the crates were moved, her team all sat down against the wall, panting and sweating.

Some tiny fragment of Petra thought that Levi would just magically appear out of nowhere, but that thought was crushed when she realized that the vice-captain rarely, almost never, took care of supply transport. That was for other squad leaders and their subordinates to do.

Katherine let her team rest for ten minutes before the next load of supplies came for them. This was going to be a blast, these were for the tent supplies, chock full of metal beams, bars, table pieces, and many more unbearably hefty items.

Lisa offered to wrap the hands of those who had cut or blistered their hands on the heavy and splintery crates after they were done.

There was one girl in particular, whose palm had a large gash running through it, bleeding heavily. She couldn't be more than twelve or thirteen, and she was sobbing, wincing in pain as Lisa disinfected the cut. The sight saddened Petra, she herself wincing.

Katherine walked up to her after Lisa went to treat others. She sat down next to the girl.

"How's your hand?" she asked.

The girl looked up at her with crystal-blue eyes, her nose red from crying.

"Well," she began to say. "It hurts..."

Katherine looked down at it in pity, half-dried blood staining through the bandages.

"We've only got one more load to go, so you don't have to help lift if you don't want to," she said.

The girl smiled slightly.

"Thank you so much."

"Don't worry about it."

She gained dirty looks from some of the people in her group, while others looked down at the girl in pity.

Petra glared back at them fiercely.

"Let's get back to work!" she announced. "We've got one load left!"

* * *

><p>The following week marked the quarter-point of their training, which varied from three years to three and a half. During Petra's first year, it was three and a half, since there were a lot of drop outs and slackers slowing down the process. It wasn't like when Wall Maria fell and humanity had taken the Survey Corps more seriously, let alone the military altogether. Most of the trainees simply enlisted for a chance to get a ticket to the interior. But not Petra. She wanted to make a difference, one way or another.<p>

During this time, trainees were allowed to visit their families (assuming they had any) for one week.

"Are you going to visit your family?" Katherine asked Lisa during dinner.

She looked up, her brown eyes meeting Katherine's green ones.

"I was thinking about it, but I decided not to," she said, her voice somewhat quieter than usual.

"Why not?" Katherine asked softly.

"Well, I of course want to see them, but my parents would probably be busy with work, and feeding my brothers and all. I'd just be a hindrance, I guess."

Katherine nodded in reply. Petra knew what it was like to feel like a hindrance.

"You're visiting your aunt, right?" Lisa asked.

"Yes," she responded. "I really miss her."

Lisa took a sip of water from her cup.

"I think we all have someone we miss."

Her words sent a jolt through Petra, the thought of Levi springing to her mind. Then her father, and her mother and brother.

After a small pause, she spoke.

"You should go visit your family, for at least a day. Then you could just come back and spend the rest of the week here," she suggested to her friend. "You, we're, I mean, lucky to have any family at all."

Lisa pondered over this.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," she said. "And you're right. I'm lucky to have family at all."

Petra thought of her father, and the days they would sit together, reading.

"And also, thank you," Lisa told her, smiling. "Thank you for being my friend and helping me out. It really means a lot to me. You've almost become like the sister I never had," she laughed.

Katherine smiled in reply.

"Anytime."

* * *

><p>Petra walked toward's Olivia's house, which was a cottage located quite far away from the cities. As soon as she got there, she knocked on the door. There was no reply.<p>

"Hello?" she asked. "Aunt Olivia? It's me!"

After a solid minute of more knocking, she circled to the back of the house and found the spare key, hidden in a ceramic pot.

She stepped into the house after unlocking the door. There was a thin layer of dust on the floors and furniture, which Petra found odd, considering her aunt liked to keep things clean.

Something felt off as she walked into the kitchen, her feet creaking on the wooden floor.

She was about to check upstairs to see if her aunt was up there, but out of the corner of her eye she caught something strange on the floor. She squinted and looked closer, and gasped in surprise to find it was dried blood. Her eyes traced the rusty substance, which seeped into the cracks of the wood, and spread to the base of the stairs. Petra wanted to scream, her stomach not feeling very well. She spun around to see a man in black and brown clothes, armed with a knife, charge at her.

_Damn it, Petra! Don't you know to lock a stupid door?! _she wanted to yell at herself.

Fortunately for her, Petra noticed him in time to evade his first strike. The man slashed at her, and she began to scream for help while fending off his attacks. She was out of shape, and her legs were tired from the long walk. He attempted to stab her throat, but she held back his wrist with her hands, kicking him in the stomach. He coughed, gasping for air, momentarily, before attacking again. Petra continued to scream before the man managed to shove her to the ground with his foot and tried to slash at her chest, but she rolled out of the way, the knife carving a long crescent into the wood. Petra took this opportunity to kick the knife out of his hand, and punch him in the face brutally. However, he was much larger and stronger, and shoved him off her, her head slamming against the wall. She cried out from the pain. It felt as if her head was literally burning. The man managed to regain his knife, and thrust it toward Petra, but she barely managed to reflect it away from her heart, the blade cutting upwards, slashing her cheek. Luckily for her, the cut wasn't deep, but it still hurt like hell. Her blood on the edge of the knife, she looked up at it in fear and fascination.

_Am I going to die?_

She remembered Levi's lips on her forehead, the feeling almost electric.

_No. _

Petra forced herself to stand up, her body heavy.

_I'm not going to die here!_

The man held the knife in one hand, ready to strike. He ran to stab her in the side, and he did just that, the metal searing into her skin like fire. However, she kicked him just in time to avoid the knife getting in too far, and she pulled the weapon out of her. Tortuous, yes, but it was nothing compared to the feeling of being away from Levi.

_If I die here... I'll never be able to see you again. I'll never be able to repay my debt to you! _

The knife's handle in her hand, she charged towards the man, all senses of fear fading away, replaced by burning willpower. She dug the knife all the way into his stomach, the blade piercing into his flesh. He cried out, and managed to disarm Petra. However, she attacked him before he got the chance to, punching him mercilessly, fighting for life. Finally his body gave and he fell to the floor, his blood pouring out.

Petra placed a hand on her burning side, and observed the blood stained onto it. She, too, fell to the ground, the world around her melting, remembering only Levi.

Before she lost consciousness, she saw the door swing open and Olivia, clad in the same black cloak she saved Petra in, cried out her niece's name and ran towards her. Olivia lifted Petra onto her lap, trying to speak to her, but her words blurred together in Petra's mind, before everything became black.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Yay! No, not really, lol. Anyways, thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the next chapter! Again, I'm sorry for abandoning this story for nearly two months, but since it's summer and I'm staying at home doing nothing, I'll definitely get back to writing this story. If you haven't already, make sure you follow this story if you're interested in more. See you in the next chapter :)<p> 


	20. Chapter 20

Erwin laid in bed, arm amputated.

_What a mess, _he thought.

The door opened, Levi walking in. His face looked even more emotionless and cold than normal, almost to the point where he looked dead.

_Could he have found out?_

As Levi walked in, Erwin deduced that he did. He could read Levi better than anyone else.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Levi asked, his voice coarse and angry, moreso than normal.

"You know exactly why," Erwin said.

Levi's brow furrowed, and he sighed, sitting down on the chair next to his bed.

"Are you positively sure she's dead?" he asked.

Erwin shook his head.

"We're not positive, but it's highly likely."

The lance corporal's fists tightened.

"Levi, you should know better than anybody that it's not very wise to share bonds any more than comradeship in the Survey Corps," Erwin said.

"I know," Levi grumbled.

Erwin sighed lightly.

"I know how it feels," he told his comrade, voice just slightly softer than normal. "To care about someone more than yourself and the rest of the world, for once. But ask yourself, what would Petra want you to worry about more?"

Levi remained silent, looking down at the ground.

"I just didn't want to lose her," he said. "I didn't want my selfishness to kill her, like it did to Farlan and Isabel... God, what do I do?"

"You just have to choose what's more important to you," the commander said after a slight pause. "Or rather, like I said before, what would Petra want you to do?"

"I know what she'd want me to do... But if I do, she'll die on her own..."

"What if that's what she wants?"

Levi's eyes widened.

"Petra is a strong soldier. She puts others over herself as a matter of course. Don't you think she'd rather sacrifice herself than endanger humanity? Furthermore," Erwin continued. "despite her feelings for you, she still puts humanity first. If you go after her, all of her efforts will be in vain."

A pause followed.

"... I understand," Levi said, getting up to leave.

He opened the door before turning back to Erwin.

"Thank you."

Erwin nodded before he left.

* * *

><p>Petra awoke under a light blanket, her head dizzy, and her side still aching, but definitely better than before. She reached up a hand to touch her left cheek, and he found that the cut was now scabbed and reached from her mid-jaw to the level of the base of her nose, forming an "X" when it crossed with the pale strip from her whipping.<p>

She sat up, her side stinging more, and her eyes had to adjust to the darkness of the room.

"Petra?" Olivia's voice asked from the other side of the room, where she was practically invisible, thanks to her dark cloak.

She approached her niece and kissed her head.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine, just a little fazed," Petra replied.

"That's good," Olivia sighed in relief.

Petra groaned a bit as she tried to get up more.

"What happened? Why was that man at the house?" she asked.

Olivia's face firmed up.

"Petra, I just want you to know that there's been a lot going on lately, and I'm afraid I won't be able to keep you safe for long."

"Like what?" Petra asked. "What are you keeping from me?"

Her aunt's green eyes looked even more dangerous than ever.

"If you really want to know, then you have to listen closely, and promise to never repeat these words. Ever."

Petra nodded.

"I promise."

Olivia began to speak.

"I'm sure you've heard of the Reiss family. About four decades ago, an attempt was made by the Kaiser family, a lower ranking family who were closely associated to the Reiss family as their underlings, to assassinate the head of the family at the time. The assassination failed, however, and the Kaiser family were all to be executed for treason. Only a handful of them managed to escape, and they all congregated occasionally, agreeing for all them to change their last names to Tonnerre, as well as their first names. Ever since, the family has been hunted down by the Military Police, and recently, hired killers, out of fear they might attempt to make another move."

She paused.

"What I have to do with this, is that I was one of the escapees. I had no idea what was going on, only I was going to die if they found me. I was just a little girl. I grew up living a decent life, and I married your uncle before he changed for the worse. After he sold me off, I realized that I'd forgotten what it was like to be constantly hunted. Somehow they've found me, and they probably believe you're my daughter. So I want you to go back to the Trainee Corps, where you'll be safer."

Petra looked scared. Olivia couldn't blame her.

"What about you?" Petra asked.

"I'll be perfectly fine," her aunt assured her. "Don't worry about me."

Petra nodded.

"Alright."

* * *

><p>AN: Hey guys! I know pretty much every single chapter I explain why I haven't updated this story, but seriously, this time, I was on vacation for a few weeks, and I didn't have any time to write. Some of you were saying that I should update this on a weekly basis (although I've basically been doing this on a monthly basis, lol), and I definitely agree that I _should_, but I have a lot to do, and I basically write for my own enjoyment and for the readers' enjoyment. However, since you guys appear to really like this story, I'll try my hardest to write as often as I can. Also, apologies for the short chapter, but I wanted this to be a "transition" into the next "phase" of the story, I suppose. I will say, though, I might not be able to write as frequently as I like, since I was going to start getting deeper into the manga plotline, including the newest ones. So like I always say, READ THE MANGA. But who am I kidding, most of you probably do. But for those of you who don't, READ IT. Because you will be so confused and lost when you're reading this story in the future, lol. Anyways, that's it for my particularly long Author's Note, and, as always, if you like my story, make sure to follow and leave a review to help make this story better. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	21. Chapter 21

Petra Ral was in shock. Her breathing was heavy. It felt like someone had stuffed her lungs with weights. She could literally hear her heart pounding in her chest. Her vision was blurred from the tears filling her eyes.

Suddenly all that sadness turned to anger, clenching her jaw, her fingers curling into a tight fist.

"Who did this?!" She exclaimed, her voice unfamiliar, as rough as sandpaper. "I'LL KILL WHOEVER DID THIS!"

She broke down into tears, her fingernails biting into her hand as she pounded the ground.

"Petra, calm down," one of the Kaisers tried to tell her, however she didn't listen until one of them had to pry her off the ground.

"Look, Petra," a strong male voice said, causing her to look up. "They did this. The Survey Corps."

Despite her shock, Petra shook her head, her face still wet with tears.

"N-No.. It can't be.. He.. They'd never do this..."

His brow furrowed.

"They already have. Look around you, girl. At the bodies. At the bloodshed. Of course the Survey Corps would do something like this."

She didn't want to look. She didn't want to see Olivia Tonnere-Ral's bisected body, radiating blood from it.

"But Levi..."

"THAT FOOL LEVI IS THE ONE WHO KILLED HER, IDIOT GIRL! HE'S THE REASON OUR LEADER IS DEAD! HE MERCILESSLY SLAUGHTERED THE ONLY PERSON YOU HAD LEFT!"

The words hit her hard, resonating throughout her head.

"Make it stop," she said, sobbing. "I don't want to listen to this anymore."

He frowned.

"Your aunt was the only one looking out for you, hear me? She cared for you more than anyone ever could. She protected you. She loved you. What love has that man ever shown for you compared to that?"

Her body shook uncontrollably. It felt as if her blood was slowly freezing.

"I..."

And once more, she fell into the darkness where she could no longer see.

* * *

><p>Levi was racing along the rooftops before he caught sight of his enemy. He was surprisingly slower than usual, so he took that chance to jump onto the same roof as him.<p>

His enemy stopped, causing Levi to hesitate. The Kenny Ackerman he knew wouldn't stop even if he had no chance of winning.

He turned, his face hidden by a black hood. He opened his mouth to speak.

"I don't need your blabber," Levi said, raising his sword.

Suddenly he realised that he wasn't Kenny, but someone else, when he heard the feminine laugh from under the hood. She continued to laugh until Levi realized who she was, her hood and gear suddenly gone, replaced by a simple dress and an apron, her laugh sounding sadder until she was sobbing helplessly. It took Levi less than a second to recognize her.

His hands trembled, and he felt like he was six years old again.

"... Mother?"

"Levi..." she said, still crying.

Her body flickered, and her Survey Corps uniform she wore, the one she was buried in, as well as her face, were splattered with blood.

"Mother, I-"

"Are you... Are you going to let me die, son?" She asked, sending chills up his spine.

He was too shocked to move.

Suddebly there was a man next to her, pointing a gun to her temple.

She closed her eyes.

"WAIT-!" he exclaimed too late before the gun fired.

Suddenly his mom was gone, in front of him a battered Petra.

Her eyes pleaded with Levi's, her lower lip trembling in fear.

"Are you going to let me die, too, Levi?" She asked, her voice coated in disbelief. "I thought that maybe you loved me... But now, I'm going to die, just like everyone else."

"Petra.. I..."

"I COULD ALREADY BE DEAD FOR ALL YOU KNOW, LEVI! BECAUSE YOU LET ME DIE! YOU COULDN'T PROTECT ME! YOU CAN'T PROTECT ANYONE!"

With that, she held a knife to her stomach and thrust it into her flesh, blood seeping from the wound.

Levi rushed forward, catching her body before it fell.

Her eyes gazed into his, all kindness sucked out of them.

"D-Don't... Don't I mean... anything to you?" She wheezed, coughing up blood.

"I.. I lo-"

His voice faltered. Why couldn't he say it? He loved her. So why couldn't he tell her?

Then he realized why.

Because he thought his love wouldn't be enough to protect her.

* * *

><p>His eyes opened in bed, staring up at the ceiling. He sat up, panting, Petra's voice still fresh in his head.<p>

He was scared. He was unsure. He felt guilty.

But all he wanted to do now was find Petra.


	22. Chapter 22

Hi, everyone! Thank you to all who have read, supported, and reviewed this story, and I'm excited to announce a sequel coming up very soon. The reason I decided to make a sequel is because I didn't want the story to have too many chapters. In addition, the storyline is taking a major turn, so it seemed appropriate to make a separate story so that new readers don't feel overwhelmed with the onslaught of new chapters. I plan on making the sequel about the same length, more or less, but I can only go so far into the manga plotline since I want to try and keep this story as canon as possible. Again, thank you new and loyal readers alike, and if you're interested, make sure to check back for the sequel coming soon!


	23. UPDATE

A/N: UPDATE! Hello, everyone! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this fic, however I might not start writing the sequel for a few months because I like to keep my stories as canon as possible (unless they are AUs, of course) and the manga's been moving a bit slow, so until then I won't be updating. When I do feel it's time to start this story back up again, I'll tell you guys ahead of time so you can follow it and I'll make an introductory chapter. Again, thank you all so much for your support and reviews! I hope you all do well and I'll see you in a while!


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